In some car accident scenarios, one driver is to blame for the crash. When this happens, everyone injured in the accident has a clear understanding of who they should blame. Unfortunately, not every accident is straightforward, so what happens when multiple drivers are involved in an accident?
Multiple Drivers in Accidents
When multiple drivers are involved in accidents, things can get complicated. However, Georgia laws have a way to handle these situations as authorities follow a system of contributory negligence.
Contributory negligence is when authorities determine payouts for damages based on the percentage of fault someone has in causing an auto accident. In other words, contributory negligence is negligence contributed to each person individually.
Depending on the circumstances of the case, fault can be split between two or more parties. For example, a driver could be partially responsible for an accident by speeding, but the other driver could be partially responsible for the same accident because he ran a red light.
Determining Damages
Using contributory negligence, those injured in Georgia auto accidents can recover damages if they are less than 49% at fault for an accident. Therefore, if a court finds someone at least 50% at fault for an accident, they cannot recover damages.
Additionally, the percentage of someone’s fault will impact their recovery total.
For example, if someone is found 10% at fault for an accident, and the recovery award is $10,000, the injured would only receive an award of $9,000.
Call an Attorney for Help
If someone is injured in an accident where he or she is partially to blame, it’s a good idea to hire a knowledgeable Atlanta personal injury attorney for the case. An attorney can examine the facts of the crash to give authorities the right idea concerning the driver’s percentage of fault.
Suffer an auto accident and need an attorney? Call (678) 270-2377 for a free consultation!