Savannah Car Accident Lawsuits & Settlements

On this page, our car accident lawyers will look at Savannah Georgia auto accident lawsuits. We will explain some key areas of Georgia law that apply to auto accident injury cases and we also look at how much settlement compensation plaintiffs typically get in Savannah car accident cases.

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Savannah Auto Accident Statistics

The city of Savannah, Georgia has a population of 150,000. The larger Savannah metro area has a population of 400,000, making it the third biggest population center in Georgia. From 2016 to 2021, there were a total of 51,925 police reported vehicle accidents within the city limits of Savannah. During that time frame, 801 of those accidents resulted in a fatality or very serious injury.

Based on data from the Georgia Department of Transportation, the most dangerous roads and corridors in Savannah in terms of accident fatalities include:

Interstate 95
Interstate 516
State Route 307 (Dean Forest Road)
State Route 26/US Hwy17 (Ogeechee Road)
State Route 204 (Abercorn Street)

The road and intersections with the highest frequency of accidents resulting in physical injuries include:

37^th Street
Middleground Road & Montgomery Cross Road
Skidaway Road
Waters Avenue

Georgia Auto Accident Laws

Georgia has its own laws that apply to car accidents. These include traffic laws (rules of the road), vehicle insurance laws, and tort law which applies to liability for injuries. Below is a brief outline of all the key Georgia laws that apply in car accident lawsuits.

2-Year Statute of Limitations for Savannah Car Accident Lawsuits

Like all other states, Georgia has a law known as a statute of limitations that imposes a strict time limit or deadline for filing personal injury lawsuits. The statute of limitations for auto accident lawsuits in Georgia is 2-years ( GA Code § 9-3-33). This means that if you want to get compensation for your injuries, you must file the lawsuit within 2 years of the date of your Savannah car accident. If you don’t file your case within the 2-year deadline it will get dismissed by the court.

Modified Comparative Fault Applies in Savannah Auto Accident Cases

In many Savannah car accident cases, both drivers may have been partly to blame for causing the accident, even though one of them is considered legally at-fault. These are known as shared fault cases. In shared fault situations, Georgia follows the legal rule known as modified comparative fault.

Under comparative fault, a plaintiff’s damages are reduced by their percentage share of fault. So if a plaintiff is found to be 10% at-fault for their own injuries, their damages would be reduced by 10%. Under the modified version of comparative fault adopted in Georgia, if a plaintiff’s share of fault exceeds 50%, then they are totally barred from recovering any damages.

Damages Available in Savannah Car Accident Cases

Georgia no maximum limits or caps on the amount of damages that plaintiffs can be awarded when they bring an auto accident lawsuit. Plaintiffs in Savannah auto tort cases are entitled to the all economic and non-economic tort damages available in personal injury cases. These categories of damages in Savannah car accidents are listed below:

Lost Income: Plaintiffs are entitled to monetary damages for any and all lost income or lost wages that result from injuries they sustain in an auto accident. This includes not just past lost income, but also future lost income. For example, if you suffer a permanent injury that will prevent you from working for the next 6 months or a year, you would be entitled to lost wages for that period.

Medical Expenses: Car accident plaintiffs in Savannah can get damages for all of the medical bills and expenses they incur as a result of physical injuries caused by the accident. This includes literally everything from the cost of the ambulance, hospital stay, medications, doctor visits, physical therapy, and more serious things such as surgery. It also includes both past medical expenses and future medical expenses. Damages are awarded even if these costs were covered by health insurance.

Pain & Suffering: Savannah car accident victims can get damages for mental pain and suffering related to injuries sustained in a car accident. The more severe and painful the injury, the more compensation a plaintiff can get for pain and suffering. The judge or jury determines how much money should be awarded for pain and suffering damages if a case goes to trial.

Settlement Value of Savannah Car Accident Cases

The potential settlement payout value of your Savannah car accident case will ultimately be determined by a combination of various factors. The most impactful factor by far, however, will be the nature and severity of the physical injuries that you suffered in the auto accident.

More serious injuries involve more medical expenses and more pain & suffering, which equates to a higher settlement value. The chart below shows the average settlement value range of Alabama car accident cases based on the severity level of the plaintiff’s injuries.

INJURY SEVERITY LEVEL	SETTLEMENT VALUE
LEVEL I (minor)	$16,000 – $33,000
LEVEL II (moderate)	$49,000 – $136,000
LEVEL III (severe)	$177,000 – $452,000

Savannah Car Accident Settlements and Verdicts

Below are recent verdicts and reported settlements from Savannah (Chatham County) car accident lawsuits and from car accident cases elsewhere in Georgia. These cases are provided for informational purposes only, to give examples of the types of injuries and associated legal damages awarded in Savannah auto accident cases.

$80,000 Verdict (2023 Cobb County): The plaintiff was traveling westbound when a motor vehicle directly behind the plaintiff driven by the defendant allegedly failed to stop, collided into the rear of the plaintiff’s motor vehicle, and pushed the plaintiff’s vehicle into the vehicle in front of it. The plaintiff alleged the defendant accelerated after colliding into the plaintiff’s vehicle, causing the defendant’s vehicle to further impact the plaintiff’s vehicle.

$132,000 Verdict (2022 Chatham County): The plaintiff was driving a southbound vehicle on Abercorn Street in Savannah, Ga. At the same time, a City of Savannah’s police cruiser, was traveling in the right-hand lane of Abercorn Street, negligently accelerated and overtook the plaintiff’s vehicle, and cut across three travel lanes, causing the plaintiff’s vehicle to collide with the police cruiser. A jury in Chatham County awarded $132,000 in damages.

$127,476 (2021 Chatham County): The plaintiff reportedly suffered permanent injuries to her back and spine including bulging discs at C4-5, C5-6, C6-7, L4-5 and L5-S1 when her vehicle, while making a left turn, was struck on the side by a large commercial dump truck operated by the defendant. She sued both the truck driver and his company. The verdict included $100,000 for pain and suffering and $27,476 for past medical expenses.

$10,000 (2020 Chatham County): The plaintiff was driving a vehicle near the intersection of Chastain Road and Frey Road in Cobb County, Ga. He was allegedly struck in the front passenger side by the defendant who failed to yield. The plaintiff alleged unspecified personal injuries.

$30,000 (2019 Chatham County): The plaintiff was driving a southbound vehicle on Benton Boulevard in Chatham County, Ga. At the same time, the defendant allegedly was driving a northbound vehicle on Benton Boulevard, when his vehicle hit the curb, became airborne, crossed over the center median, and collided with the plaintiff’s vehicle. The jury in Savannah awarded $30,000 in damages.

Hire a Savannah Car Accident Lawyer

The personal injury attorneys at Miller & Zois can help you with your Savannah car accident lawsuit. We work with local counsel in Georgia at no additional cost to our clients to deliver the maximum possible compensation for your case. Contact us today at 800-553-8082 or contact us online.