The average person would absolutely prefer to avoid litigation if at all possible. No one typically wants to spend time in civil court. However, there are situations in which a lawsuit is the best or possibly only option for an individual.
After a car crash in Georgia, you would typically expect that the other driver would provide you with insurance coverage and therefore compensation for any injuries and property damage losses they caused. People do sometimes find themselves turning to the civil courts after a Georgia car crash even though there should theoretically be insurance to cover their losses.
Why do some people need to file a personal injury lawsuit after a collision?
The other driver’s insurance was minimal
Drivers can choose any amount of coverage they want to carry as long as they have the minimum amount set by state law. The sad fact of the matter is that the minimum required amount of insurance is much lower than the costs involved in a major collision. The state only requires $25,000 in property damage coverage. If you have purchased a car recently, you likely recognize how that could fall far short of paying to replace your vehicle.
Additionally, the liability coverage rules for bodily injury losses are quite low. There are two required coverage amounts that every driver should have. People need to have $25,000 of coverage to reimburse a single person after a crash leaves them with injuries. Their policy should also provide a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per crash when multiple people get hurt.
When someone suffers major injuries or has multiple injured passengers, the bodily injury coverage someone has may not be enough to pay for all the expenses.
The other driver doesn’t have insurance
Despite the state law requiring insurance, some people knowingly drive without coverage. Plenty of other people make mistakes, like forgetting to send a check, that result in their insurance company canceling their coverage.
Those who get into a crash caused by someone without an active policy may need to file a lawsuit, as that will be the only way for them to obtain reimbursement for the numerous expenses the crash caused. Even someone who frowns on frivolous litigation could find themselves in a scenario where a lawsuit is the only mean of recovering the expenses generated by a crash.
Learning more about your rights as someone not to blame for a motor about your rights after a motor vehicle collision could limit the losses you suffer from the crash.