If you’ve been injured or your car has been damaged in a hit-and-run accident, you may be wondering what your legal options are. If the police identify the hit-and-run driver, you can pursue a case against them and their insurance company. If not, you can make an uninsured motorist claim on your insurance policy. Ruppersburg Injury Law helps hit-and-run victims in Athens and throughout Georgia secure full and fair compensation for their injuries and losses. We offer free consultations and there are no fees unless we win.

Hit and Run Case Results

$850,000 for volunteer firefighter injured in hit-and-run accident

Why You Need a Hit and Run Accident Lawyer in Athens, GA

When a hit-and-run happens, you have two potential cases. The first is a personal injury case against the other driver, if you can identify them. If not, Georgia law allows you to pursue an uninsured motorist claim against your own insurance company

If the police cannot identify the other driver, attorneys can sometimes identify the other driver through their own investigation. We visit the crash site, look for nearby business security cameras and traffic cameras and ask neighbors for camera footage.

And if you do have to make an uninsured motorist claim with your insurance company, you may think that your own insurance company will treat you fairly. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Your insurance company will treat your case just like any other. They will look for ways to win the case on a technicality or minimize the value of your case. A lawyer can help make sure your rights are protected and that you receive full and fair compensation for your injuries.

Hit and Run Accidents in Athens-Clarke County: The Numbers

Athens-Clarke County Police reported a hit-and-run rate of 14.76%, above the Georgia average of 13.89%.

The ACC reports that the county logged 5,154 reported crashes in 2025. At the local hit-and-run rate, that points to hundreds of Athens drivers, riders, and pedestrians each year who are left at the scene with no name and no insurance information.

ACCPD recorded seven pedestrian deaths and one bicyclist death in 2021, and four of those fatal pedestrian crashes were hit-and-runs. Between 2013 and 2022, Athens-Clarke County logged 52,032 total crashes, with 61% happening on locally maintained roads. Intersection-related crashes made up 61.6% of those, a rate higher than in other Georgia municipalities.

Georgia Hit and Run Laws

Under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-270, every driver must stop immediately after an accident that causes injury, death, or vehicle damage. The law requires drivers to give their name, address, and vehicle registration information. They must also show their driver’s license if asked.

The penalties for breaking this law are severe.

• Property Damage Only: For lesser injuries or damage to an occupied vehicle, it is a misdemeanor with a mandatory fine of $300 to $1,000 that cannot be suspended or probated, plus up to 12 months in jail.
• Serious Injury or Death: When the crash is the proximate cause of death or serious injury, leaving is a felony punished by one to five years in prison.
• License Suspension: The Georgia Department of Driver Services suspends the license of anyone convicted of a hit-and-run.

A second conviction inside five years raises the minimum fine to $600, and a third brings a flat $1,000.

Georgia Uninsured Motorist Laws

Under Georgia law O.C.G.A. 33-7-11(b)(2), a hit-and-run driver who cannot be identified is “uninsured.” To win an uninsured motorist claim, the law requires you prove one of two things:

• There was “actual physical contact” between your car and the hit and run vehicle
• An eyewitness other than the injured person can corroborate what happened

When you file a lawsuit against a hit and run driver that cannot be identified, Georgia law O.C.G.A. 33-7-11(d) requires you to file the lawsuit against “John Doe” and serve your insurance company with the lawsuit. Your insurance company will then file its answer to the lawsuit and both parties will conduct discovery, which is the exchange of information and evidence, like a normal case. If the case goes to trial, the insurance company has the option of defending the case as John Doe or in its own name. As a practical matter, insurance companies usually defend hit-and-run cases in their own name.

Punitive Damages for Hit & Run Accidents

Georgia law allows the jury to award punitive damages against the hit-and-run driver, if they can be identified. Punitive damages are punishment damages that are meant to punish the other driver for their bad behavior and deter others from acting in the same way. Georgia law O.C.G.A. 51-12-5.1(b) allows the jury to award punitive damages where “the defendant’s actions showed willful misconduct, malice, fraud, wantonness, oppression, or that entire want of care which would raise the presumption of conscious indifference to consequences.”

In Langlois v. Wolford, 246 Ga. App. 209 (2000), the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that leaving the scene of an accident authorizes punitive damages:

Thus, such act of leaving the scene of a collision without even speaking to the other party, as mandated by statute, was an intentional and culpable act; such conduct demonstrated a conscious indifference to the consequences and an entire want of care as to the victim’s well-being, permitting the jury to find that such conduct was of an aggravated and indifferent nature for purposes of imposing punitive damages. Thus, such conduct alone was sufficient to show aggravated circumstances so as to permit the jury to consider the imposition of punitive damages for such culpable conduct.

What to Do After a Hit and Run Accident in Athens

The actions you take right after a crash affect your legal rights. Follow these steps to protect your health and your future financial claim:

• Call 911:Ask for a report even if the damage looks minor. A police report is the document your insurance company will request first, and police can pull tag hits from nearby cameras while the trail is fresh.

• Write Down Anything About the Car: Color, body style, a partial tag, a dent, a bumper sticker, direction of travel. A partial plate or direction of travel is often what helps the police locate the driver.

• Get Witness Names and Numbers Yourself: Ask bystanders what they saw. Get their names and phone numbers before they leave the area.

• Photograph the Contact Point: Paint transfer, scrape height, and glass on the pavement all prove that physical contact happened.

• See a Doctor the Same Day: Go to the hospital emergency department. A gap in treatment is the first thing an adjuster looks for.

• Contact Ruppersburg Injury Law: Speak with an Athens hit and run accident lawyer before you give a statement to any insurance company.

• Report the Crash to Your Insurance Company: Insurance policies require you to to report a claim within a certain timeframe and it can be as short as 30 days. If you do not do so, you may lose your right to make a claim.

Compensation Available After a Hit-and-Run Accident

Georgia allows recovery for:

• Emergency care, surgery, imaging, and future medical treatment
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
• Physical pain and mental suffering
• Vehicle repair or replacement and rental costs
• Scarring, disfigurement, and permanent impairment
• Compensation for physical pain, stress, and anxiety caused by the crash.
• Wrongful death damages under O.C.G.A. § 51-4-2 when a family member is killed
• Punitive damages to punish the other driver

Contact an Athens Hit and Run Accident Lawyer Today

Evidence disappears fast in these cases. Camera footage gets overwritten, witnesses move, and your vehicle gets repaired. Ruppersburg Injury Law stands up for crash victims in Athens. We know the local courts, the local police departments, and the rules insurance companies play by.

Contact our hit and run accident lawyer in Georgia at 706.354.1000 to request a free case consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

+ Who pays when the driver can’t be found?

If the police never find the driver, you can collect money from your own insurance policy. Under § 33-7-11, a vehicle counts as uninsured when its owner or operator is unknown. Georgia law requires insurance companies to offer UM coverage on every auto policy. You have this coverage unless you signed a specific form rejecting it in writing.

+ How long do I have to file a hit-and-run lawsuit in Georgia?

You have two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit. If you only want to fix your car, you have four years for property damage.

+ What if I was a passenger in a hit-and-run crash?

Passengers can file claims, too. You can use the driver’s uninsured motorist coverage, or you can use your own auto insurance policy if you own a vehicle with UM coverage.

+ Will my insurance premiums go up if I make a UM claim?

Under Georgia law, insurance companies cannot raise your rates for claims where you were completely blameless. A hit-and-run caused by another driver counts as a no-fault event.