Car Accident Lawyer in Stockbridge, GA

The merge

I-675 runs south from I-285 and joins I-75 at Stockbridge. Where they meet, two streams of traffic have to combine. Drivers change lanes in a short distance to reach their exit or get out of the way. Sideswipes and rear-end crashes cluster here, especially at rush hour, when traffic speeds swing from highway pace to a crawl in moments.

Lane and construction changes at the I-675 and I-75 interchange are announced by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Highway 138

The state route through Stockbridge is lined with shopping centers, restaurants and gas stations. There are driveways every few hundred feet and turn lanes at most signals. The typical crashes:

• Left-turn crashes at signals, when a driver turns across oncoming traffic on a yellow.
• Driveway crashes, when someone pulls out of a lot into a gap that is not there.
• Rear-end crashes in stop-and-go traffic near the interstate interchanges.

Eagles Landing Parkway and Hudson Bridge Road add their own share, as residential traffic feeds into the commercial corridor.

Getting the crash report

Who responded decides where the report comes from. That is Stockbridge Police inside city limits, Henry County Police in unincorporated areas, or the Georgia State Patrol on the interstates. The report number from the scene speeds everything up — and if you did not get one, it can still be found.

What matters in the first days

Photograph the vehicles, the scene and the other driver’s license and insurance card. Get the names and numbers of anyone who stopped. Go to the doctor the same day if you can. A gap between the crash and your first medical record is the insurer’s favorite argument. And do not give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement.

The rules that decide the claim

Georgia is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, and their insurer, pay for the harm. Your recovery is reduced by any fault assigned to you and barred at 50% (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33). Generally you have two years from the crash to file suit (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33).

If the other driver has no insurance, or not enough, your own uninsured motorist coverage may make up the difference.

If you were working at the time, there may also be a workers’ comp claim. See Stockbridge work-related car accidents.

Our Stockbridge injury lawyer page covers everything else we handle here, and our main car accident page explains the claim process in depth.

More: Stockbridge personal injury · car accidents · Stockbridge truck accidents

Common questions

Where do most car crashes happen in Stockbridge?

At the I-675 and I-75 merge, where traffic combines in a short distance, and along Highway 138 with its driveways and turn lanes. Eagles Landing Parkway and Hudson Bridge Road add their share.

Which police department has my Stockbridge crash report?

Stockbridge Police inside city limits, Henry County Police in unincorporated areas, or the Georgia State Patrol on the interstates. If you did not get a report number at the scene, it can still be found.

What should I do in the first days after a crash?

Photograph the vehicles and the scene, get witness names, and see a doctor the same day if you can. Do not give the other driver's insurer a recorded statement.

What if the other driver has no insurance?

Your own uninsured motorist coverage may make up the difference.

Is a left-turn crash on Highway 138 always the turning driver's fault?

Usually, but not always. A driver turning left must yield to oncoming traffic (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-71), so the turning driver is often at fault. Speed, signals and what witnesses saw can change that.