Hurt in a Head-On Collision? You Don't Have to Sort Out the Next Steps Alone.

A head-on collision injury claim is a request for compensation from the driver or party whose fault caused a crash between two vehicles traveling in opposite directions. Except as otherwise provided in this article, O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 requires actions for injuries to the person to be brought within two years after the right of action accrues, so early attention matters.

If you were hurt, you may be dealing with medical bills, missed work, and insurance calls you didn’t expect. This guide explains the head-on collision injury claim Georgia residents may bring, how fault works, and what a free case review involves. Ugwonali Law Group represents people hurt in serious crashes across metro Atlanta and statewide in Georgia.

What a Head-On Collision Injury Claim Is and Who It’s For

A head-on collision happens when the front ends of two vehicles strike each other. Often, one driver has left his or her lane. A claim asks the responsible party to pay for the harm the crash caused.

Head-on claims are for serious injuries with real medical treatment. Examples include broken bones, hospital stays, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and death. Car and truck crashes both fall within this work.

The firm also handles wrongful death, catastrophic injury, premises liability, and slip and fall cases. It works with people across Fulton, Clayton, Cobb, and Rockdale counties, and statewide in Georgia.

Families have a path, too. When a head-on crash causes a death, a surviving spouse may bring a wrongful death claim. If there is no surviving spouse, the children may bring it.

Injuries Common in Head-On Crashes and Why Records Matter

Head-on impacts can be severe because the forces of two vehicles meet in one collision. Common injuries include broken bones, internal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and crush or burn injuries.

Medical care often follows a path. It usually starts with emergency care, then imaging tests, then treatment and follow-up with a medical doctor. Some symptoms, especially after a brain injury, can appear hours or days later.

Spinal injuries can change daily life for a long time. The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center publishes factsheets on spinal cord injury.

Every record matters. Keep bills, prescription receipts, and appointment notes. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-1.1, medical damages are limited to the reasonable value of medically necessary care. Records that show what care was needed help explain the claim.

Proving the Other Driver Was at Fault

Most head-on claims turn on whether the other driver failed to use ordinary care. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-1-2, ordinary diligence is the care that prudent people use in similar circumstances. Failing to use it is ordinary negligence.

Georgia also allows recovery when someone breaks a legal duty and that breach causes damage, as described in O.C.G.A. § 51-1-6. Traffic rules, such as staying in your lane, are common evidence of how a careful driver should act.

Useful evidence often includes:

• The police report and its report number
• Photos of both vehicles and the damage pattern
• Witness statements
• Traffic camera or dashcam video
• Medical records that connect the injuries to the crash

Insurers may argue that the injured driver shared the blame. That is why the facts of the crash matter.

Georgia’s Modified Comparative Negligence Rule

Under Georgia law, if an injured person is partly responsible for their own injury, the damages awarded are reduced in proportion to that person’s percentage of fault, and no damages may be recovered if the injured person is 50 percent or more responsible (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33-pdf.pdf)). Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, the judge reduces damages in proportion to the injured person’s share of fault.

The same statute provides that a plaintiff who is 50 percent or more responsible for the injury or damages claimed is not entitled to receive any damages (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33). Each at-fault party pays only its own share, not a joint share with others.

General damages are those the law presumes flow from a wrongful act, and they can be recovered without proof of an amount. Special damages, such as medical bills and lost wages, must be proved, as stated in O.C.G.A. § 51-12-2.

For a fatal crash, O.C.G.A. § 51-4-2 allows a surviving spouse, or children if there is no spouse, to recover the full value of the decedent’s life, as shown by the evidence. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-4-5, when death of a human being results from a crime or from criminal or other negligence, the personal representative is entitled to recover funeral, medical, and other necessary expenses resulting from the injury and death.

The value of any claim depends on the facts of the crash and the injuries.

Georgia Deadlines for a Head-On Collision Claim

Georgia generally requires a personal injury lawsuit to be brought within two years after the right of action accrues, under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. That is the main deadline most injured drivers and passengers face.

Claims involving loss of consortium have a four-year period under the same statute. Read the statute’s exact wording, because the start of each period follows the law’s terms.

Waiting also carries practical risks. Records get harder to collect, witnesses forget details, and video may be overwritten. An early review gives time to gather evidence while it is still available.

How the Free Case Review Works

A free case review is a confidential first conversation about your crash, injuries, and treatment. The first consultation is free, confidential, and without obligation to continue.

1. Reach out. Call, send an online form, or chat with the intake team in English or Spanish.
2. Share the basics. A short call covers the crash date, your injuries, and whether you’ve seen a medical doctor.
3. Review the facts. A lawyer reviews the crash facts and medical records. Adanna Ugwonali is the responsible lawyer for this page. Our team, including the firm’s lawyers and support staff, works on each matter.
4. Talk through options. You receive an explanation of possible next steps.

Before the call, gather the police report number, insurance information for everyone involved, medical provider names, treatment dates, and photos of the scene and vehicles.

How long a review takes depends on the crash and the medical records. The office is at 3400 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta.

Common Questions About Head-On Collision Claims

Short answers to common questions are below.

This page is educational and does not promise or predict any result. Responsible lawyer: Adanna Ugwonali, Ugwonali Law Group, 3400 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia. Contact: attorneyadanna.com contact page.