What to Do After a Georgia Car Accident
Preserve the evidence and insurance information that a coverage investigation may require.
Georgia Injury Guide
Georgia Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
When the at-fault driver has no insurance—or not enough insurance to cover the harm—your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may become a critical source of recovery. The answer depends on the policies, written elections, available liability limits, notice, and the facts of the crash.Published by Shield Legal Group · Updated July 12, 2026
The coverage gap
Minimum liability limits may not cover a serious injury
Georgia requires liability insurance, but the required minimum bodily-injury limits are only $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. A hospital stay, surgery, lost income, and continuing care can exceed those limits quickly. The Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire lists the current minimum limits on its official auto-insurance resource page.
Uninsured motorist coverage can apply when an at-fault driver has no applicable liability coverage. Underinsured motorist coverage can apply when that driver has coverage, but the available limit is not enough to compensate the covered loss. Georgia regulates this coverage through O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11.
Policy language matters
“Added-on” and “reduced-by” coverage are not the same
An added-on form of underinsured motorist coverage may be available in addition to the at-fault driver’s liability limits, up to the applicable UM/UIM limit and subject to the policy and law. A reduced-by form generally reduces the UM/UIM limit by amounts available from the at-fault driver’s liability coverage. That difference can materially change the coverage available after the same crash.
Georgia’s statutory changes require specific written elections or rejections for reduced coverage or no coverage. The controlling policy documents, declarations pages, applications, endorsements, and election forms should be reviewed together. The General Assembly’s official 2008 legislation summary describes the added-on and reduced-by framework, and the Governor’s signed legislation archive addresses written rejection requirements.
Find every policy
Coverage may exist in more than one place
A careful coverage review may include the vehicle’s policy, policies issued to resident relatives, employer or commercial policies, rideshare or delivery coverage, and umbrella or excess coverage. Whether any policy applies is fact-specific. The named insureds, covered autos, household relationships, exclusions, priority rules, and anti-stacking language all matter.
Do not assume the declarations page tells the whole story. Request a complete certified policy and the written UM/UIM selection or rejection documents. Preserve renewal notices, insurance cards, applications, and correspondence about the claim.
Protect the claim
Notice, consent, and releases can affect coverage
Notify your own insurer promptly and follow the policy’s reporting and cooperation requirements. Before accepting the at-fault driver’s limits, signing a release, or dismissing any party, determine whether a UM/UIM carrier must receive notice or an opportunity to protect subrogation rights. A release drafted for a quick liability settlement can affect claims against other insurers.
Keep communications accurate and narrow. Do not speculate about injuries or fault. Preserve the crash report, photographs, medical records, wage evidence, and all policy correspondence. If an insurer disputes coverage or delays a decision, request the position and policy basis in writing.
Why representation matters
A lawyer can investigate coverage before rights are signed away
Handling a UM/UIM claim yourself can mean negotiating with both the adverse carrier and your own insurer while also identifying every policy, satisfying notice provisions, evaluating liens, and avoiding an overbroad release. Shield Legal Group can investigate available coverage, obtain the policy documents, coordinate the liability and UM/UIM claims, document the full loss, and challenge unsupported coverage positions.
No website can determine whether coverage applies to a particular crash. A focused policy review early in the claim is more reliable than waiting until the liability limits are exhausted or a release has already been signed.
Related Guidance
Continue Your Research
Recorded Statements and Releases
Understand the risks before giving a statement or signing settlement documents.
Georgia Personal Injury Deadlines
Learn why private and government-related claims can follow different timelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Georgia UM/UIM coverage questions
Does Georgia automatically give every driver UM/UIM coverage?
Georgia law generally requires the coverage to be offered, but the insured may make written elections affecting the type and amount or reject it. The policy and signed selection documents must be reviewed.
Can I make a claim against my own insurer without blaming myself?
A UM/UIM claim seeks contractual coverage purchased for this situation. It does not make you at fault, but the insurer may still investigate liability, damages, coverage, and compliance with policy conditions.
Should I accept the at-fault driver’s policy limits immediately?
Not before confirming all available coverage and any notice, consent, release, or subrogation requirements. A premature release can create avoidable disputes.
Can more than one UM/UIM policy apply?
Sometimes. The answer depends on the vehicles, insureds, household relationships, policy language, exclusions, and Georgia law. Every potentially applicable policy should be identified and reviewed.
Have the policies reviewed before you sign a release
Shield Legal Group evaluates Georgia injury and insurance claims by phone or online. There is no fee to request a case evaluation, and no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Free case evaluation. No attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Published by Shield Legal Group · Updated July 12, 2026. This guide provides general information, not legal advice or a coverage opinion. Insurance rights depend on the complete policy, written elections, facts, and current Georgia law. Reading this page or contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.