How Car Accident Expenses Are Increasing in Georgia—And What You Can Do About It

By Bruce MillarMarch 5, 2025

If you were recently in a car accident in Georgia, you might be shocked to find that, beyond the accident itself, the cost of covering expenses is higher than ever. Meanwhile, the state’s minimum insurance coverage amounts haven’t increased in decades. As a result, even if the accident wasn’t your fault, you could still end up paying out of pocket due to the rising costs associated with car accidents. That’s why car accident lawyers strongly recommend carrying high UM/UIM coverage and seeking legal representation—not to keep lawyers in business, but to protect your hard-earned income and ensure you don’t bear the financial burden alone.

Why Car Accident Costs Are on the Rise in Georgia

To illustrate the rising costs of car accidents for you, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that motor vehicle crashes in the United States costed $242 billion in 2010, increasing to $335 billion by 2019—a 38% rise in just a decade. This figure doesn’t even account for the surge in new vehicle prices during the COVID era, which saw an average increase of $11,000.

There are several other reasons why car accidents in Georgia have become more expensive over time, including the following:

Increasing costs of medical care: You probably already know that, like everything else, the cost of medical care gets higher every year. As an example, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for medical care services in the United States increased by over 22% from 2010 to 2020. This increased cost does pass on to car accident victims who were injured in their accident.

Improvements to medical technology, the cost of training staff to use these new technologies, as well as the cost of hospital overhead can all drive the rising cost of medical treatment. All impacting injured car accident victims, increasing the cost of a car accident.

You can count on the fact that the cost of an emergency room visit is always increasing. If you are forced to spend time in the hospital after your accident, if you must undergo a surgical procedure from the accident, if you need the help of a specialist, or must look ahead to physical therapy it will cost you dearly. And with car accidents you cant rely on your medical insurance to help you, and medical admins have been known to charge higher amounts for car accident victims.

Higher repair costs for modern vehicles: Cars and car repairs are at an all-time high now due to new and expensive technological improvements in today’s vehicles. Newer vehicles are equipped with advanced technology and safety features which can make repairs more complex and costly. Not only are parts more expensive, the technicians who handle the repairs require specialized training which means they are paid more. Those costs will be passed along to you.

Rising insurance premiums: As the costs that come with car accidents increase, insurance companies may raise premiums to cover their own expenses, which can impact policyholders like you painfully.

How insurance companies are handling rising car accident claims: Additionally, because the goal of all insurance companies including those in Georgia is to make money, in the face of all the extra expense in handling claims, they must find ways to pass the costs along to their customers. This means they will work much harder to keep your settlements as low as possible by squeezing every penny during negotiations. They may try to deny your claims, even try to make it look as if you were somehow responsible for your losses. In other words, you should prepare to struggle with the insurance company more now than ever before to simply get the benefits you’ve been paying for all along.

Changes to the Driving Environment: Factors such as distracted driving, higher traffic volume, and larger vehicles on Georgia roads can all lead to more severe accidents which come with higher costs. These higher costs are factored into premium costs.

The Biggest Expenses You’ll Face After a Car Accident

The largest expenses associated with a car accident typically include the following:

Medical bills: The cost of medical treatment, including hospital stays, surgeries, and ongoing therapy, can add up quickly, particularly if your injuries are severe. These expenses can be astronomical if you have little or no medical insurance.
Lost wages: If you're unable to work due to injuries sustained in the accident, the loss of income can be significant and may continue for an extended period.
Vehicle repair or replacement: Depending on the extent of the damage, repairing or replacing your vehicle can be a substantial expense.
Long-term care: For those who sustain severe or permanent injuries, long-term care costs, such as in-home assistance, nursing care, or specialized equipment, can be significant.
Insurance premium increases: Depending on the circumstances of the accident and fine print in your insurance policy, your insurance company may raise your premiums, leading to higher long-term costs.

The Hidden Costs of a Car Accident Most People Don’t Expect

After a Georgia car accident, there is a laundry list of costs that can take you by surprise. Some of those unexpected or overlooked expenses are listed below:

Towing and storage fees: While you are on your way to the hospital in an ambulance, you might not think about whether or not your vehicle must be towed away from the accident scene. It probably will. In addition to that cost, you may be responsible for paying storage fees which can be hefty.
Rental Car Expense: Depending on the severity of your accident your vehicle might not be driveable. If it is badly damaged or totaled in the accident, you may need to rent a car temporarily, which can be costly.
Lost wages: If you're unable to work due to injuries sustained in the accident, you may lose income, which can be a significant financial burden.
Long-term medical expenses: Even when your initial medical bills are far behind you, you may require long-term physical therapy, medications, or additional treatments. Very often, accident victims fail to factor these costs into their claim for settlement. If you’ve hired an attorney to assist you in your claim, he or she will know how to predict those costs and include them in your claim
Property damage: In addition to collision-caused damage to your vehicle, you may also experience damage to personal property items that were in your car. This can include, but certainly isn’t limited to things like electronics, clothing, groceries, or whatever other items you were transporting in your car at the time of the accident..
Emotional distress: Following a car accident, it's not uncommon for the emotional impact of a car accident to be overwhelming. This impact can cause anxiety, depression, or even post-traumatic stress disorder, which could require therapy or other treatments.

With all these Unexpected Expenses, Can I Even Afford to Hire an Attorney?

Perhaps you should consider a different question: Can you afford NOT to hire an attorney?

A car accident is a significant event in your life. Not only does it force you to bear physical and emotional costs, it can represent an extremely consequential financial burden upon you and your family. You may be interested to know that studies demonstrate that people who hire a Personal Injury Lawyer to handle their car accident claims receive, on average, settlements three times larger even after the lawyer is paid.

Your lawyer can be an excellent resource to help you through the trauma of being an accident victim. Not only do they provide essential expertise in calculating your costs, negotiating your claim, and, if necessary, filing a lawsuit, they can also step in to provide resources such as medical or other expert witnesses. They can also advise you about how you can obtain care now and pay for it later. Having an advocate at your side during this life crisis can be a huge comfort.

Many Personal Injury lawyers (such as those at The Millar Law Firm) do not charge you a fee up front, so there are no out of pocket charges for you to hire the lawyer. If they do not win, they do not get paid. Compared to the risks involved in representing yourself, this is a win/win situation.