How does the amount of damage to my vehicle affect my recovery in a personal injury case?

According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Georgia, there are more than 300,000 motor vehicle collisions in the state every year. Many of these collisions result in property damage and bodily injury to one or more people involved in the collision.

If the collision results in property damage to your vehicle, under Georgia law the at-fault driver (i.e. the driver who caused the wreck) is responsible for paying for the damage he or she caused to your vehicle. If your vehicle is damaged but not totaled, the at-fault driver must pay for your cost of repairs. If your vehicle is totaled, the at-fault driver must pay whatever the value of your vehicle was at the time the wreck took place; that is, what your vehicle could have been sold for prior to being involved in the collision.

Your vehicle’s damage is also evidence that can be used to assist in proving (or, unfortunately, disproving) any bodily injuries you are claiming resulted from the wreck. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. You can tell people that you were involved in a violent collision, but those words mean different things to different people. However, a single photo of a vehicle that is crushed like an accordion tells people more than any amount of story-telling could.

If you are involved in a collision, whether it is your fault or not, you should always take photos of the property damage to your vehicle and to any other property that was damaged (e.g. the other vehicle, roadside property that might have been hit, etc.). These photos can be invaluable evidence in your case.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a motor vehicle collision, reach out to the DeWoskin Law Firm. Let us guide you through the process and maximize your recovery. Call us at 404-987-0026.