Drivers in accidents on Georgia roads need to make sure law enforcement is notified if a few things are true. If someone is injured or killed in the accident, alert the nearest law enforcement agency. If it appears that repairs for at least one driver’s damages will be $500 or more, contact the authorities.
Georgia Law Covering Reporting Your Traffic Accident
Drivers in accidents where someone is hurt or where the value of damage to vehicles will run higher must report their accidents. They should alert local authorities unless an officer responds to the scene.
GA Code § 40-6-273 (2020) states:
“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, by the quickest means of communication, give notice of such accident to the local police department if such accident occurs within a municipality. If such an accident occurs outside a municipality, such notice shall be given to the office of the county sheriff or to the nearest office of the state patrol.”
In some cases, officers won’t respond to the location of an accident if it’s very minor, or if all local officers are tied up on other emergencies. You may have to handle the accident reporting yourself.
You would contact local police, such as the Gainesville GA Police Department, The Hall County Sheriff's Department, or the Georgia State Patrol.
In short, these are the reasons you’d need to report your accident:
- If someone is injured in your accident
- If someone is killed in your accident
- If the cost of repairs for your vehicle or another vehicle appears to be $500 or more
You should report your accident as soon as possible. But first, you should make sure everyone on the scene is safe and that there is help on the way if anyone is injured. See to everyone’s safety first, and then contact authorities.
If an officer can’t respond to the scene, you’ll also want to get the driver’s license and insurance information from all drivers involved. Get contact information from any witnesses. You should also contact your own insurance agent to alert them about what happened.
Talk to a Gainesville Car Accident Attorney Now
If you’ve been seriously injured in a traffic accident in Gainesville, Georgia, contact Weaver Law Injury Attorneys today. We’ve been serving North Georgia for more than 20 years and continue to fight for full support for all accident victims.
Our Gainesville car accident lawyers offer a free consultation to review your case and answer your questions. Contact us online to schedule your free consultation. There’s no obligation for this free case review.
And if you feel we can help you secure more for your injury, you don’t need to worry about finding the money to hire an accident lawyer. We don’t earn anything for our services unless we recover money for you. Then our fee comes out of the accident settlement check that a car insurance company must provide to you and your family.