Atlanta, GA Interstate 75 Accident Guide

Motor vehicle accidents take place on Georgia roadways every day. Although most are relatively minor fender benders, a significant number of crash victims sustain injuries that have major impacts on their life, sometimes permanently.  If you were injured in a car accident on Interstate 75 in Atlanta, GA, reach out to the best I-75 car accident lawyers today for a free consultation with a reputable personal injury lawyer.Read on to find out some astounding Georgia car crash statistics that will give you a better sense of how many car wrecks actually happen in the state.

Car Accidents are the Main Cause of Injuries and Deaths in Georgia

The Georgia Department of Public Health has reported that automobile accidents are the number one cause of unintentional injuries and fatalities and the second greatest cause of visits to hospital emergency rooms statewide.

Car accident statistics published by the Georgia Department of Transportation show that a total of 331,796 auto accidents took place in 2020. According to GDOT data, 1,588 of those caused fatalities and roughly 125,000 caused injuries.

Fatal Georgia Car Accidents Rose by 20 in 2020  

In spite of statewide campaigns advocating for zero fatalities on Georgia’s highways, current data trends show that is not the case. GDOT statistics indicate that more than 1,700 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2020, an increase of 313 deaths from the year before. 

2021 did not show much improvement. Statistics provided by the National Safety Council show that the state saw more than 900 vehicular deaths in the first half of the year. This figure represents a 29{1bdd743422f4df9d0bcbf309bbad17ad95135e97075b12f8b6fa54595885a15a} increase from the same time in 2020. A GDOT representative reported that this uptick was primarily the result of three specific careless forms of driving: speeding, driving while intoxicated, and distracted driving.

Georgia Ranked Fourth in Fatal Car Accidents

Census data clearly shows that Georgia is the 8th most densely-populated state in the country, but fourth for the most fatal car crashes, preceded only by the heavily populated states of Florida, California, and Texas.

Recently, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said that Georgia is missing the mark on many of its yearly safety performance benchmarks. 2021 focused heavily on improving crash statistics for accidents that involved:

• Severe injuries
• Deaths in unrestrained passengers
• Alcohol-related deaths
• Speed-related fatalities
• Motorcyclist deaths
• Unhelmeted motorcyclist deaths
• Pedestrian deaths
• Bicyclist deaths

95 of ER Visits in Georgia Are Car Crash Victims

Statistics from the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety show that victims of traffic accidents are an overwhelming majority in the state’s trauma centers and hospital emergency rooms. In fact, 95 of all emergency department patients in 2019 were drivers and passengers. Of those, 75 were hospitalized due to the severity of their injuries.

Your Georgia Police Car Accident Report

After being injured in an Atlanta, GA Interstate 75 car accident, you need to obtain a copy of your police accident report, also called a crash report or an incident report.  Your crash report is a formal document that is filed by the police after they respond to the scene of an accident. The report contains all the information they gathered, all of the details they witnessed at the scene, and their take on what happened and why. Since law enforcement officers are viewed as an impartial third party, their accident report is considered a dependable source of information.  

The most important facts pertaining to Atlanta, GA police accident reports are:

• A police accident report is written up by responding state troopers or police officers to establish what took place at the scene of the accident.
• You can purchase copies of your Georgia police crash report from the Georgia State Highway Patrol, your local police department, or at BuyCrash.com.
• The crash report will include details about your accident, the names of those involved, and the officer’s account of what most likely happened. Police crash reports are considered a reliable source of information by most insurance carriers, courts, and attorneys.
• Insurance companies use crash reports as a tool to help them decide whether or not to make you a settlement offer for your injuries and damages. 

How to Get a Copy of Your Georgia Police Accident Report

There are three methods that can be used to obtain copies of your Georgia police report: 

• Buy copies in person from the law enforcement agency that responded to your accident
• Purchase a copy online
• Let your I-75 Atlanta, GA car accident attorney do it for you

Most people choose to pay the $5 fee and pick up their report in person from the responding agency. Typically, you would need to go to the Records Unit to purchase a copy of your report. Before you go, give them a call to find out their exact process. Make sure you tell them you are trying to purchase a copy of an accident report and verify you have the correct location for picking it up.  

You should also keep in mind that you have to go to the same Georgia Highway Patrol post, sheriff station, or police department that responded to the accident, even if it took place somewhere other than where you live. There is no interdepartmental access to these types of records. 

You should wait at least 10 days after your accident before trying to obtain a copy of your crash report, because that is how long the responding officer has to file it. 

How Do I Buy My Accident Report Online?  

Visiting a police station in person is something that a lot of people would prefer to avoid, choosing instead to buy a copy of their report online. This is easily accomplished by going to buycrash.com, which is a helpful website that lets you look up and buy a copy of almost any police accident report.  Each requested copy of the report will cost you $5.00. It is important to note that this is a privately held company, not one owned by the government.  

In order to look up your crash report, you will need a few basic pieces of information, including:  

• The date and location of your accident
• Your car’s Vehicle Identification Number

Alternatively, if you are working with an I-75 auto accident attorney, you can ask them to track down a copy of the report on your behalf. Most lawyers have a team who can manage tasks like this swiftly and efficiently without taking up your personal time. This is a routine part of gathering evidence for a case.   

What if I Don’t Know Which Agency Responded to My Accident?

It is not uncommon for someone who has just been involved in a serious car accident to have no idea which agency responded to the scene. Even if the entire event is nothing more than a blur to you right now, you will still be able to get a copy of your police report.   

Generally speaking, only one of three agencies will have responded to your accident: the sheriff’s department, the local police department, or the Georgia Highway Patrol for the area where your crash took place. You can simply call each of these agencies and ask them whether or not they have your crash report. You can also use the BuyCrash website to locate your police report using the date and location of your accident along with the VIN.  The website allows you to look up crash reports without knowing which agency responded.  

Can I Get a Crash Report if the Police Did Not Respond to the Scene? 

In short, no. If no law enforcement agency responded when your accident occurred, they cannot and will not draw up a police crash report. This could potentially complicate matters with the insurer, who might try to fault you for the incident. You can, however, write up your own report, which will still be useful. Writing up your own report is basically a way to formally document everything that you observed after the accident, as soon as possible after it occurs. Giving your report to your attorney will give them something to draw from when negotiating with the insurance carrier. Please note that no government agency will accept a personal report, but it will serve as a useful piece of evidence when dealing with the insurance company.

When is a Georgia Police Crash Report Legally Required?

Georgia law says that you are required, under certain circumstances, to call 911 and report an accident. Those circumstances include: 

• If the accident took place in a county or city that has a local ordinance mandating a report
• If anybody involved in the crash has been injured or killed
• If there was damage to personal property totaling more than $500  
• If a report is going to be needed by the insurance company

Speak With an Atlanta, GA I-75 Car Accident Lawyer

If you were seriously injured in an accident on Interstate 75 in Atlanta, our Georgia I-75 car accident lawyers can help by delivering the strong legal representation that you deserve. 

Our team will work hard to obtain a successful outcome for your car accident claim; one that compensates you for your medical bills, ongoing treatments, lost wages, pain, suffering, and a lot more. For the best results possible, it is essential to act right away. To learn more about your rights and options, contact the Atlanta, GA I-75 motor vehicle accident attorneys today to schedule your free consultation.