Accident Settlement Calculator

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Georgia Car Accident Settlement Calculator

In Georgia, you generally have 2 years to file an injury lawsuit, you recover nothing at 50% fault or more, and drivers must carry at least $25,000/$50,000 in injury liability. Enter your numbers below to see what a Georgia claim may be worth and what you would actually take home.

1

Your accident

How serious is the injury?
2

Your costs so far

That's all you need for a first estimate. Rough numbers are fine.

Optional: make the estimate more accurate fault, insurance, lawyer fee
3

Fault and future costs

4

Insurance

5

What comes out of it

Georgia rules in 30 seconds

If you were partly at faultYou get nothing if you are 50% or more at fault
Details & exceptions

Georgia uses modified comparative fault with a 50 percent bar: an injured person who is 49 percent or less at fault recovers damages reduced by their share of fault, but a person who is 50 percent or more responsible recovers nothing. The 2025 tort reform law (SB 68) did not change this rule, but it changed how damages are proven (see notes).

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Deadline to file a lawsuit2 years from the accident
Details & exceptions

O.C.G.A. 9-3-33: injuries to the person must be sued on within 2 years (loss of consortium within 4 years). O.C.G.A. 9-3-31: injuries to personal property (e.g. vehicle damage) within 4 years. Claims against government entities have much shorter notice ('ante litem') deadlines that must be met before suing: cities, written notice within 6 months of the event (36-33-5(b)); counties, claims must be presented within 12 months (36-11-1); the State, written notice within 12 months of when the loss was discovered (50-21-26(a)(1)). Statute text read from FindLaw mirrors (current as of 2024-03-28) because the official code could not be fetched.

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Other driver's minimum insurance$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
Details & exceptions

Property damage minimum: $25,000. Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner: 'Bodily Injury Liability – $25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident; Property Damage Liability – $25,000 per incident.' HB 1344 (2026, effective 2027-01-01) raises fees for driving without minimum insurance but does not change these limits.

Compare minimums in all states →
Who pays your medical billsThe at-fault driver's insuranceSee all no-fault states →
Cap on pain and sufferingNo cap for typical car accident claims
Details & exceptions

No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. Georgia has no cap on noneconomic (pain and suffering) damages in auto injury cases. The only statutory noneconomic cap, O.C.G.A. 51-13-1, is limited to medical malpractice and was held unconstitutional in Atlanta Oculoplastic Surgery v. Nestlehutt (2010). The Georgia Supreme Court reaffirmed that framework in Clark v. Leigh (decided June 16, 2026). SB 68 (signed and effective 2025-04-21) added no cap and did not change the 51-12-33 50% bar, but it affects auto injury damages: (1) seat belt non-use may now be admitted on negligence, comparative negligence, causation and apportionment of fault, and to diminish recovery (40-8-76.1(d), subject to the evidence rules); (2) counsel may argue a dollar value for noneconomic damages only in closing argument, rationally related to the evidence (9-10-184, anti-anchoring); (3) medical special damages are limited to the reasonable value of medically necessary care, the jury sees both billed amounts and amounts actually paid by health insurance, and letter-of-protection arrangements are relevant (new 51-12-1.1, which applies only to causes of action arising on or after 2025-04-21); (4) any party may request a bifurcated trial, with fault decided before damages (new 51-12-15). SB 68 text read from the House Rules Committee substitute LC 49 2362S, which the Senate agreed to.

Uninsured motorist coverageOptional
Details & exceptions

O.C.G.A. 33-7-11(a)(1): auto liability policies issued in Georgia must include uninsured motorist coverage, at minimum limits or up to the policy's liability limits. Under 33-7-11(a)(3) the named insured may reject it in writing, so drivers are not strictly required to carry it. HB 1344 (2026) adds uninsured-motorist lapse fees but does not change 33-7-11. Statute text read from a FindLaw mirror (current as of 2024-03-28).

Worked example: a typical Georgia car accident claim

Another driver turned left into you at an intersection in Georgia: $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury that healed in a few months. The insurer says you were 20% at fault for speeding slightly, the other driver has a $100,000 policy, and your lawyer takes 33%.

  1. Economic damages$20,000Medical bills + expected future treatment + lost wages.
  2. Pain and suffering$20,000 – $40,000Multiplier method: economic damages × 2–3 for a moderate injury, minus the economic part itself.
  3. Total claim value$40,000 – $60,000Economic + pain and suffering.
  4. After your share of fault$32,000 – $48,000Georgia uses modified comparative negligence (50% bar): you recover nothing if you are 50% or more at fault; otherwise recovery is reduced by your 20%.
  5. Limited by available insurance$32,000 – $48,000At-fault policy limit $100,000 + your UM/UIM $0.
  6. Estimated take-home$20,440 – $31,160Minus attorney fee (33%), case costs and medical liens.

You would take home about $25,800 ($20,440 – $31,160), after the 33% fee and $1,000 in case costs.

Typical figures (midpoint of a moderate injury multiplier), no medical liens. Run your own numbersor see the same crash in every state.

How much time do you have to file?

General personal injury deadline only. It can be shorter for claims against a city, county or state agency (often a written notice within months), and longer for minors. Check with a lawyer before relying on it.

Deadline traps in Georgia

The 2-year lawsuit deadline is not the only clock. These are the ones people miss:

Crash with a government vehicle or on a public road6 months (city) / 12 months (county, state)

Before suing, send written 'ante litem' notice: to a city within 6 months of the crash, to a county within 12 months, and to the State (Risk Management and the agency) within 12 months of discovering the loss.

O.C.G.A. 36-33-5 (cities, 6 months)O.C.G.A. 36-11-1 (counties, 12 months)O.C.G.A. 50-21-26 (State Tort Claims Act notice, 12 months)

If the injured person is a child

For a child injured before 18, the 2-year clock generally starts on the 18th birthday, so the child has until age 20 to sue.

O.C.G.A. 9-3-90(b), tolling for persons under 18

How fast a Georgia insurer must respond

Georgia's numeric deadlines apply to an insurer handling its own policyholder's property damage claim (first-party). For other claimants, O.C.G.A. 33-6-34 only requires reasonably prompt acknowledgment, investigation and decision.

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 120-2-52-.03, prompt settlement of first-party property damage claimsO.C.G.A. 33-6-34, unfair claims settlement practices

If an insurer misses these deadlines, you can file a complaint with the state insurance department. Compare all states:insurance claim deadlines by state.

Next steps after a Georgia crash

Frequently asked questions

What is a typical car accident settlement in Georgia?
It depends on the bills, the injury and fault. Worked example: with $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury, 20% of the fault, a Georgia claim against the other driver is worth about $40,000, and the injured person takes home about $25,800 after a 33% attorney fee and costs. At 51% fault, the same claim pays nothing in Georgia.
Is Georgia an at-fault or no-fault state for car accidents?
Georgia's car insurance system: At-fault (tort).
Is there a cap on pain and suffering in Georgia car accident cases?
No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. Georgia has no cap on noneconomic (pain and suffering) damages in auto injury cases. The only statutory noneconomic cap, O.C.G.A. 51-13-1, is limited to medical malpractice and was held unconstitutional in Atlanta Oculoplastic Surgery v. Nestlehutt (2010). The Georgia Supreme Court reaffirmed that framework in Clark v. Leigh (decided June 16, 2026). SB 68 (signed and effective 2025-04-21) added no cap and did not change the 51-12-33 50% bar, but it affects auto injury damages: (1) seat belt non-use may now be admitted on negligence, comparative negligence, causation and apportionment of fault, and to diminish recovery (40-8-76.1(d), subject to the evidence rules); (2) counsel may argue a dollar value for noneconomic damages only in closing argument, rationally related to the evidence (9-10-184, anti-anchoring); (3) medical special damages are limited to the reasonable value of medically necessary care, the jury sees both billed amounts and amounts actually paid by health insurance, and letter-of-protection arrangements are relevant (new 51-12-1.1, which applies only to causes of action arising on or after 2025-04-21); (4) any party may request a bifurcated trial, with fault decided before damages (new 51-12-15). SB 68 text read from the House Rules Committee substitute LC 49 2362S, which the Senate agreed to.
What happens if I was partly at fault for an accident in Georgia?
Georgia follows modified comparative negligence with a 50% bar: you recover nothing if you are 50% or more at fault, and otherwise your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Georgia?
Generally 2 years for personal injury and 4 years for property damage. O.C.G.A. 9-3-33: injuries to the person must be sued on within 2 years (loss of consortium within 4 years). O.C.G.A. 9-3-31: injuries to personal property (e.g. vehicle damage) within 4 years. Claims against government entities have much shorter notice ('ante litem') deadlines that must be met before suing: cities, written notice within 6 months of the event (36-33-5(b)); counties, claims must be presented within 12 months (36-11-1); the State, written notice within 12 months of when the loss was discovered (50-21-26(a)(1)). Statute text read from FindLaw mirrors (current as of 2024-03-28) because the official code could not be fetched.
What is the minimum car insurance in Georgia?
$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner: 'Bodily Injury Liability – $25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident; Property Damage Liability – $25,000 per incident.' HB 1344 (2026, effective 2027-01-01) raises fees for driving without minimum insurance but does not change these limits.
What is the deadline to file a claim against the government in Georgia?
6 months (city) / 12 months (county, state). Before suing, send written 'ante litem' notice: to a city within 6 months of the crash, to a county within 12 months, and to the State (Risk Management and the agency) within 12 months of discovering the loss.
How long does an insurance company have to respond to a claim in Georgia?
Georgia's numeric deadlines apply to an insurer handling its own policyholder's property damage claim (first-party). For other claimants, O.C.G.A. 33-6-34 only requires reasonably prompt acknowledgment, investigation and decision.

Related

Official sources