MCA Answers™
After a Crash
The decisions you make in the first 72 hours shape the value of your claim more than almost anything that follows.
Questions
What to do in the hours and days following a Georgia collision.
- What should I do immediately after a car accident in Atlanta?Call 911 so an Atlanta Police Department report is generated, get medical evaluation the same day, photograph everything before vehicles are moved or repaired, and decline to discuss fault with any insurer until you have advice.
- How do I get a Georgia accident report?Georgia crash reports are available from the law enforcement agency that responded and, for many collisions, through the Georgia Department of Transportation's online crash report portal. Availability typically takes a few business days, though timing varies by agency.
- What should I do after a hit-and-run accident in Georgia?Call 911 from the scene and report it as a hit-and-run so an official report exists, get the responding officer's name and the report number, look for witnesses and cameras before you leave, get medically evaluated the same day, and notify your own insurer promptly — because in Georgia your uninsured motorist coverage is usually what pays when the driver is never identified. Leaving the scene without a police report is the single most common reason these claims fail.
- Do I need a police report to make an accident claim in Georgia?No. A Georgia crash report is powerful evidence, but it is not a legal requirement for an insurance claim or a lawsuit, and the officer's opinion about fault is not binding on an insurer, a judge or a jury. Without a report you have to prove the collision another way — photos, witnesses, dash video, vehicle damage, medical records and prompt written notice to both insurers. Georgia does require drivers to report certain crashes, so a missing report can also raise its own questions.
- What happens if I was hit by a car while walking in Georgia?You generally have a claim against the driver, and often more coverage than you expect. Georgia drivers must yield to pedestrians lawfully in a crosswalk, and even where you crossed outside a crosswalk, drivers must exercise due care and your own share of fault only reduces your recovery unless it reaches 50%. As a pedestrian you can also usually access your own auto policy's uninsured motorist and medical payments coverage — even though you were on foot — and that matters most in hit-and-run and low-limits cases.
- What should I do after a motorcycle accident in Georgia?Get medical evaluation the same day even if you walked away, make sure law enforcement documents the crash, photograph the bike and the scene before anything is moved or repaired, and give written notice to your own insurer as well as the other driver's. Georgia requires drivers to report crashes involving injury, death or apparent property damage of $500 or more. Expect the other insurer to question your speed, visibility and gear — motorcycle claims draw more scrutiny than car claims, so documentation matters more.
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