What to do after a car accident in Georgia
Every rule below is quoted from Georgia law or a state agency, with a link. Checked September 17, 2026.
At fault state
The short answer
Georgia is an at-fault, or tort, state. Drivers must carry liability insurance, and the driver who caused the crash is financially responsible for the other person's injuries and damage. A driver must immediately report a crash to police if it causes injury, death, or about $500 or more in property damage. Report to local police inside a city, or to the county sheriff or nearest state patrol office outside a city. You generally have 2 years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit for your injuries.
Deadlines in Georgia
- 2 years
- to sue for injuriesO.C.G.A. § 9-3-33
- 4 years
- to sue for car or property damageO.C.G.A. § 9-3-31
- 2 years
- for a family to sue after a deathO.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, applied to wrongful death claims brought under O.C.G.A. § 51-4-2
- 6 to 12 months depending on the government involved
- to notify the government if a public vehicle or road was involvedO.C.G.A. § 50-21-26 (state); § 36-33-5 (municipal, 6 months); § 36-11-1 (county, 12 months)
Miss one of these and you can lose the right to claim, even with a strong case.
At the scene
Stop, share your information and help anyone hurt
After a crash, a driver must stop at the scene, give their name, address and license plate number to the other driver, show their license if asked, and give reasonable help to anyone hurt, including arranging transport to a doctor or hospital.
“immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of the accident...Render to any person injured in such accident reasonable assistance, including the transporting...of such person to a physician, surgeon, or hospital”
When you must call the police
A driver must immediately report a crash to police if it causes injury, death, or about $500 or more in property damage. Report to local police inside a city, or to the county sheriff or nearest state patrol office outside a city.
“The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or property damage to an apparent extent of $500.00 or more shall immediately...give notice of such accident to the local police department”
Moving your car out of traffic
If a crash causes no apparent serious injury or death and the vehicles can still be driven, Georgia law tells drivers to move them out of the road onto the shoulder, emergency lane, or median.
“remove said vehicles from the immediate confines of the roadway into a safe refuge on the shoulder, emergency lane, or median”
In the days after
Whether you must file a report yourself
Georgia does not generally make you personally file a written crash report with a state agency. Instead, the police department or sheriff who responds submits its report to the Georgia Department of Transportation, within 14 days if filed electronically.
“All such reports shall be submitted to the Department of Transportation within 14 days when electronically submitted”
Getting a copy of the crash report
Local police and Georgia State Patrol crash reports can be ordered online through the BuyCrash portal for the agency that responded, or by mailing a request to the Georgia Department of Transportation. GDOT charges a fee of $5 for each copy of a report it keeps.
“The Department of Transportation, or its third-party designee, shall charge a fee of $5.00 for each copy of any accident report received and maintained by that department or its designee”
Who pays for the damage
Georgia is an at-fault, or tort, state. Drivers must carry liability insurance, and the driver who caused the crash is financially responsible for the other person's injuries and damage.
“The three basic coverages sold under the tort system are bodily injury liability insurance, property damage liability insurance and uninsured motorists coverage.”
Insurance rules in Georgia
What insurance every driver must carry
Drivers must carry at least $25,000 in liability coverage for injury to one person, $50,000 total for injury to two or more people in one crash, and $25,000 for property damage. This is often called 25/50/25 coverage.
“Not less than $25,000.00 because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident, and...$50,000.00 because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident, and $25,000.00 because of injury to or destruction of property”
Personal injury protection (PIP)
Georgia does not require drivers to carry personal injury protection, called PIP. State law only requires liability insurance.
“No owner of a motor vehicle required to be registered in this state...shall operate...unless the owner has motor vehicle liability insurance equivalent to that required...under...the Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act.”
If the other driver has no insurance
Insurers must include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in every auto policy unless the policyholder rejects it in writing.
“The coverage required under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not be applicable where any insured named in the policy shall reject the coverage in writing.”
Medical payments coverage
Medical payments coverage, often called MedPay, is optional in Georgia. Insurers are not required to include or offer it, though many sell it as an add-on.
“Other optional coverages include medical payments coverage, rental reimbursement coverage and towing and labor coverage.”
If an insurance company treats you unfairly
You can file a complaint against an insurance company with the Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire online, or by phone, mail, fax, or email.
“The most efficient and quickest process is the Online Consumer Complaint Portal”
The deadline rules, word for word
Deadline to sue for injuries
You generally have 2 years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit for your injuries.
“actions for injuries to the person shall be brought within two years after the right of action accrues”
Deadline to sue for car damage
You generally have 4 years from the date of the crash to sue over damage to your vehicle or other property.
“Actions for injuries to personalty shall be brought within four years after the right of action accrues.”
Deadline for a wrongful death claim
A wrongful death lawsuit generally must be filed within 2 years, usually counted from the date of death, the same personal injury deadline Georgia courts apply to these claims.
“actions for injuries to the person shall be brought within two years after the right of action accrues”
If a government vehicle or road was involved
If a city vehicle or city-maintained road is involved, you must give written notice of your claim within 6 months. If a county is involved, the deadline is 12 months. If a state government vehicle or road is involved, you must give written notice within 12 months of discovering the loss.
“Notice of a claim shall be given in writing within 12 months of the date the loss was discovered or should have been discovered”
Sources on this page
Each one was opened and checked on September 17, 2026.
- OCI Auto Insurance Resources; O.C.G.A. § 33-34-4
- O.C.G.A. § 33-34-4
- O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33
- O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33
- O.C.G.A. § 9-3-31
- O.C.G.A. § 50-21-26 (state); § 36-33-5 (municipal, 6 months); § 36-11-1 (county, 12 months)
- O.C.G.A. § 40-6-273
- O.C.G.A. § 40-9-31
- O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11
- O.C.G.A. § 40-6-270
- O.C.G.A. § 40-6-275(c)
- O.C.G.A. § 40-9-30
- Georgia OCI, File a Consumer Insurance Complaint
- Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.5
Know My Claim is not a law firm or a government agency, and this page is not legal advice. Laws change, so check the linked source before you rely on a deadline.