A report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that 25,580 people died and many more were injured in 2012 auto accidents from January through September. Being prepared before an accident can enable a victim to obtain all the necessary information that will be helpful to their case.
Consulting a Clayton County attorney after an auto accident enhances a victim's ability to receive a reasonable settlement. If you have been injured in an automobile accident you should discuss your case with an accident attorney at Shane Smith Law.
Compensation for Georgia auto accidents is determined using the comparative fault system when determining how much a party (or his associated insurance company) should pay. In other words, a person or his insurance company will likely be held responsible for his proportion of the damages following a determination of his liability.
In Georgia, a claimant's damages are reduced by his fault percentage. The remaining damages are distributed among the other party or parties according to his fault degree. A claimant cannot receive damages if his fault degree is determined to be 50 percent or higher.
It is illegal to make a U-turn in Georgia if it is unsafe to do so, even if a driver has a green arrow. Additionally, it illegal to make a U-turn around curves or near a hill's crest.
Georgia drivers may be held partially responsible for an accident when they make a U-turn even if they have a green arrow under the following circumstances:
- Other drivers may be making right turns. Regardless of whether there is a green arrow for the driver making the U-turn or yield signs for the automobiles making right turns, it is the U-turn driver's obligation to make sure that a U-turn can be made safely.
- Oncoming traffic may have a green light if a U-turn driver tries making a turn on a yellow light. Drivers making U-turns must make sure they have sufficient time to complete the turn and join the traffic flow without disrupting the traffic flow.
- Drivers making U-turns are required to use their left turn signals.
Georgia law requires that the recovery amount should be reduced if a victim's carelessness contributed to the auto accident injuries.
If you or someone you know has been hurt in an auto accident, meet with a Clayton County auto accident lawyer at Shane Smith Law. We can obtain the relevant evidence including police reports.