When someone calls our firm after a Georgia car accident, the first work happens before any settlement conversation. The Macon Judicial Circuit, Bibb County courts, and the State Court of Bibb County are familiar territory for our attorneys.
In the auto accident cases we have handled, the difference between a recovery that covers a client’s losses and one that does not is usually decided by how these early decisions are handled. If the case does not settle for fair value, we try it.
To talk through what happened in your case, call us directly.
We pull the official Georgia DOT-523 crash report, review what was recorded and what was missed, and engage accident reconstruction experts when facts are contested or the crash is severe.
We work with treating physicians to document injuries and their cause, including injuries not obvious in the ER. Whiplash, concussion, and disc injuries often develop or become measurable in the weeks after a crash.
We identify every applicable insurance policy in parallel: the at-fault driver’s liability, your own UM/UIM coverage, umbrella policies, medical payments coverage, and health insurance subrogation rights.
Most cases settle. When an offer falls short, we try it. The settlement value depends in part on whether the firm representing you is willing and able to take a case to verdict.
Most car accident cases settle. The settlement value depends in part on whether the firm representing it is willing and able to try the case if the offer is wrong. Gautreaux Law has tried cases in courts across Georgia, including Bibb County and other Middle Georgia jurisdictions.
David Cooke served two elected terms as District Attorney for the Macon Judicial Circuit and has tried more than 150 jury cases. Griffin Green clerked at the State Court of Bibb County. The local court familiarity shapes how filings, hearings, and trial strategy are calibrated.
Clients work with the attorneys assigned to their cases, not exclusively through paralegals or case managers. Jarome Gautreaux meets with clients face-to-face, takes calls, and stays involved through resolution.
Georgia requires drivers to carry minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. Those minimums rarely cover a serious injury. When the at-fault driver carries only the minimum, the question is which other coverages can be tapped.
Liability often extends further. Employers can be responsible under respondeat superior when a driver was acting within the scope of employment. Vehicle owners can be liable for negligent entrustment. Bars and restaurants can be liable under Georgia’s dram shop statute when they knowingly served a visibly intoxicated driver.
In distracted driving cases, the at-fault driver’s violation of the Hands-Free Georgia Act O.C.G.A. § 40-6-241 is admissible evidence of negligence. Identifying every liable party early can change the size of available coverage.
When road defects, missing signage, or negligent maintenance contribute to a crash, a city, county, or state agency may be liable. These claims require an ante litem notice within strict statutory deadlines — typically six months for cities and counties, twelve months for the State of Georgia.
Georgia follows a modified comparative negligence rule. If a jury finds you 50 percent or more at fault, recovery is barred. Below that threshold, your damages are reduced by your share of fault. Insurance adjusters apply this rule routinely – often pressing for a higher fault percentage during settlement discussions.
The deadline to file most personal injury cases is two years from the date of the accident. Government claims have shorter notice periods. Property damage claims have a four-year limit.
Each case is different and depends on its specific facts and circumstances. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. These figures represent gross recoveries before deduction of fees and expenses.
Jarome Gautreaux has practiced personal injury and wrongful death law in Georgia since 2000, recovering over $100 million for clients in motor vehicle, premises liability, and medical malpractice cases.
These are the questions we hear most often from people who have been hurt in Macon-area car accidents. Every case is different – call us to talk through your specific situation.
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778 Mulberry Street
Macon, GA 31201
