The fastest way to report a car accident in Georgia is to call 911. The responding law enforcement agency is responsible for filing the report with the Department of Transportation. You must also report your accident to your insurance company.
Farah & Farah offers this guide to help you understand how to report a car accident in Georgia and avoid legal complications.
Step by Step: Reporting a Car Accident in Georgia
You are required to report most Georgia car accidents to law enforcement and your insurance company immediately. Our step-by-step guide can keep you compliant with the law and prevent complications with your potential injury claim.
Stay at the Scene and Notify Law Enforcement
Never leave the scene of an accident without meeting all legal requirements. Under Georgia Code §40-6-273, you must report an accident to law enforcement immediately if the accident has caused an injury, death, or property damage of $500 or more. If your crash takes place within a city’s limits, the local police department will take your report. Outside a city’s boundaries, the Georgia State Patrol or the local Sheriff will usually respond. When you call 911, the operator will dispatch the correct agency.
Ensure Safety and Seek Medical Attention
To ensure everyone’s safety at the scene until help arrives, take all necessary steps, including the following:
- Turn on your hazard lights.
- Use reflective triangles if you have them.
- Move vehicles out of the road if they are operational.
- Move people out of the road if necessary to protect safety.
If you are injured, ask another licensed driver to move the vehicle. State law protects drivers from liability in this instance. Don’t move the vehicle more than necessary to get out of harm’s way. Some injuries aren’t always immediately apparent, but they can worsen with movement.
The same rule applies to others injured at the scene: Don’t move them unless they are in danger. Offer basic first aid and life-saving measures according to your abilities and their needs. Call 911 for emergency medical services.
Collect Relevant Information
Before you leave the scene, exchange the following information with the other driver:
- Name and address of the owner and driver
- The vehicle registration number
- The name of your insurance company
- A view of your driver’s license, if requested
Gather any evidence you can at the scene. Take pictures and video of the wrecked vehicles from multiple angles. Stand back and photograph the entire scene, including the road behind the accident, road markings, and any damaged property, such as guardrails, fences, and signs.
Write down everything that happened as soon as possible while the details are still fresh in your mind. Record the names and contact information of eyewitnesses, and ask for their versions of what happened.
File a Police Report
The responding law enforcement agency will file the police report. When officers arrive, answer their questions respectfully and truthfully, but refrain from volunteering unnecessary information. Never admit fault. In Georgia, the police report cannot be used against you in court in a personal injury lawsuit, but your statements to the police sometimes can. The police will investigate the accident, sketch a diagram of the scene, and issue any necessary traffic tickets for violations.
If you are in a single-car accident without any injuries or damage to anyone else’s property, you are not required to report the accident in Georgia.
Notify Your Insurance Company Promptly
Notify your insurance company that you have been in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. Most insurance companies require you to notify them within 24 hours of an accident. If the other driver files a claim against you, your insurance company may investigate to determine whether you were at fault.
If you believe the other driver is at fault, you must file a claim with their insurer under the driver’s liability insurance coverage. If the driver doesn’t have insurance or the accident was a hit-and-run, you can file your claim under your uninsured motorist coverage.
Provide the insurance companies with a copy of the police report or the report number, but don’t provide any other information until you speak with a lawyer.
Seek Legal Advice if There Are Injuries or Complications
Insurance companies often downplay injuries or shift blame to minimize payouts. Our experienced Georgia car accident lawyers know their tricks and what it takes to recover a fair settlement. We can help you report your Georgia car accident, advise you of your rights and options, negotiate the settlement you deserve, and represent you in court if necessary.
Timeline for Reporting a Car Accident
Georgia Code §40-6-273 requires you to report a car accident to law enforcement immediately. You usually meet this requirement by calling 911.
You generally must report any accident to your insurance company as soon as possible, often within 24 hours. A delay of even a few days can lead to a denied claim. In the case of Navarro v. Atlanta Casualty Co., the Georgia Appeals Court held that a car accident victim who did not notify the insurer until four or five days after an accident could not recover under an uninsured motorist policy.
If you wish to file a personal injury claim, you must report your accident to the insurance company promptly. In addition, under Georgia’s car accident statute of limitations, you must file suit within two years of the accident.
Not Worth the Risk: Don’t Try to Cover up an Accident
Having an accident on your record can affect insurance premiums, but the consequences of not reporting an accident are far worse. Under Georgia Code § 40-6-270, it is a felony to leave the scene of an accident without exchanging information or reporting to law enforcement if anyone was seriously injured or killed. The penalty is one to five years in prison.
Anyone leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage only or non-serious injuries can face fines of up to $1,000 and a jail term of 12 months.
Failure to report an accident also adds three points to your license.
Obtain a Copy of Your Accident Report
The fastest way to obtain a copy of your police report is through BuyCrash. To request a report:
- Go to the BuyCrash portal.
- Select Georgia in the state menu.
- Choose, “Select ALL GA Agencies.”
- Click the red search button.
- Enter the requested information and follow the prompts.
Georgia’s Department of Transportation charges a $5 fee for a crash report. BuyCrash’s fee is $13.
If the Georgia State Patrol investigated your accident, you can request your crash report by calling your local Open Records Unit. You will need to complete this form to request your report. Email the completed form to openrecords@gsp.net or mail it to the following address:
Post Office Box 1456
Attention: Open Records Unit
Atlanta, GA 30371
You’ll need your report number, VIN, and driver’s license number to request a report.
Who Can Access My Police Report?
The Open Records Act only allows access to interested parties, including anyone involved in the accident, insurance companies, and attorneys involved in the case.
Let Our Georgia Car Accident Lawyers Help
Knowing how to report a car accident in Georgia is only the beginning of the legal hurdles a car accident can create. You don’t have to go through this alone. Farah & Farah is a family-centered law firm that puts clients first.
Our dedicated attorneys will work as a team to help you meet your reporting requirements and handle your injury claim. We charge no upfront fees, and you pay nothing unless we win.
Call (877) 245-6707 or contact us online today, and let Team Farah go to work for you.
