Atlanta personal injury lawyer

When someone else's carelessness hurts you, the medical bills and insurance calls start before you've had time to think. Gary Huggins is an Atlanta personal injury lawyer and the attorney at Huggins Accident Injury Lawyer in Perimeter Center. He represents people hurt in crashes, falls, dog attacks and other preventable accidents across metro Atlanta and Georgia.

Below, you'll find each type of case he handles, how a Georgia claim moves from first call to settlement or verdict, and the rules that decide it. Call (240) 421-5511 any time; the phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What injury cases does Gary handle?

Each case type below has its own page with the details that matter most for it.

Car accidents

From rear-end crashes on GA-400 to T-bones on Buford Highway, car wreck claims turn on three questions: who caused it, how much insurance exists, and how well your injuries are documented. Your own uninsured motorist coverage can matter as much as the other driver's policy. Read more about Atlanta car accident claims.

Truck accidents

Tractor-trailer cases involve federal safety rules and records the carrier controls, like electronic logs and dash-cam video. Several companies may share the blame, from the carrier to a broker or parts maker. Read more about Atlanta truck accident claims.

Motorcycle accidents

Georgia requires every rider to wear a helmet (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-315) and prohibits lane splitting (§ 40-6-312). Insurers may try to use either rule against an injured rider, so the facts of the crash need to be pinned down early. Read more about motorcycle accident claims.

Uber and Lyft accidents

Rideshare coverage depends on what the app was doing (O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24). While a driver is logged in and waiting for a request, the law requires at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per crash for injuries.

Once a ride is accepted and until it ends, liability coverage rises to at least $1 million, plus at least $100,000 per person in UM coverage. Read more about Uber and Lyft accident claims.

Pedestrian accidents

Drivers must stop and stay stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk who is on the driver's half of the road or approaching closely (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-91). People crossing outside a crosswalk must yield (§ 40-6-92), and insurers lean on that rule along roads like Buford Highway, where crosswalks can be far apart. Read more about pedestrian accident claims.

Bicycle accidents

Drivers must leave at least three feet when passing a cyclist (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-56). Riders who use the Atlanta BeltLine, PATH400 or the Silver Comet Trail still have to cross busy streets, and many metro roads have no bike lane. Read more about bicycle accident claims.

Bus and MARTA accidents

A company carrying bus passengers must use extraordinary diligence to protect them (O.C.G.A. § 46-9-132), a higher duty than ordinary care. Claims against MARTA, city buses and other public transit can involve special notice rules, immunity issues and shorter deadlines. Read more about bus accident claims.

If a MARTA bus, city vehicle or county truck was involved, call (240) 421-5511 right away so a short notice deadline doesn't pass.

Drunk driving accidents

Georgia's legal limit is 0.08 blood-alcohol concentration, 0.04 for commercial drivers and 0.02 for drivers under 21 (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391). Punitive damages against an impaired driver have no cap (§ 51-12-5.1).

A bar can share liability only in narrow cases, such as knowingly serving a minor or a noticeably intoxicated person it knew would soon drive (§ 51-1-40(b)). Read more about drunk driving accident claims.

Brain injuries

A concussion or traumatic brain injury can be missed in a busy ER, and symptoms like memory gaps, headaches and mood changes may surface days later. These claims depend on careful medical documentation. Read more about brain injury claims.

Spinal cord injuries

A spinal cord injury can change how you work, move and live. The claim has to account for lifetime care, equipment, home changes and lost earning capacity, not just the hospital bills. Read more about spinal cord injury claims.

Catastrophic injuries

Amputations, severe burns and permanent disabilities call for a full picture of future costs, often built with life-care planners and economists. Read more about catastrophic injury claims.

Wrongful death

Georgia lets a family recover the “full value of the life” of the person who died, measured from that person's perspective (O.C.G.A. § 51-4-1 et seq.). The surviving spouse brings the claim and shares it with any children. With no spouse, the children bring it; with neither, the parents do.

The estate separately recovers medical and funeral costs and the person's conscious pain and suffering. Read more about wrongful death claims.

Premises liability and slip-and-fall injuries

Stores, apartment complexes and other property owners must use ordinary care to keep their premises safe for customers and other invited guests (O.C.G.A. § 51-3-1). These claims usually turn on whether the owner knew more about the hazard than you did.

For claims arising on or after April 21, 2025, SB 68 narrowed when owners are liable for crimes committed by third parties on their property. Read more about premises liability claims.

Dog bites

Under O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7, an owner can be liable if the dog was dangerous and the owner carelessly let it go at liberty. That can be shown by proof the owner knew of a dangerous tendency, or that a local ordinance required a leash and the dog wasn't on one.

Report every bite to animal control. Read more about dog bite claims.

Not sure which category fits? Call (240) 421-5511, tell Gary what happened, and he'll tell you honestly whether you have a claim.

How does a Georgia personal injury claim work?

Every case moves at its own pace, but most follow the same path from the first call to a settlement or verdict.

1. First call and free consultation. Gary learns what happened and what you need, at the office, by phone or video, or at your home or hospital bedside.
2. Investigation. He gathers the police or incident report, photos, video, witness statements and records. Letters go out asking that key evidence be preserved.
3. Insurance notice. He identifies every policy that may apply and asks each insurer to contact his office instead of you.
4. Treatment and documentation. You focus on getting better. Gary collects medical records and bills and tracks lost income as you go.
5. Demand. Once your doctors understand your long-term outlook, he sends a detailed demand with the proof. Some demands carry a response deadline under Georgia's rules for time-limited settlement offers (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-67.1).
6. Negotiation. Offers and counteroffers follow. You decide whether to accept, and Gary gives you his honest advice.
7. Lawsuit, if needed. Where a case is filed depends on who is being sued. Often it's the State Court of the county where the injury happened or where the defendant lives, such as Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett or Cobb.
8. Discovery and mediation. Both sides exchange records and take depositions. Many cases settle at this stage, often with a mediator's help.
9. Trial. If the case doesn't settle, a jury decides. Since SB 68, either side can often ask for separate phases on fault and damages.
10. Closing. Health-plan claims and hospital liens (O.C.G.A. § 44-14-470) are resolved, and the remaining funds are paid to you.

Ready for step one? Call (240) 421-5511 to set up a free consultation at the office, by video or at your bedside.

What compensation can you recover in a Georgia injury case?

Georgia law lets injured people pursue two main kinds of damages, and sometimes a third.

• Economic damages: medical bills past and future, lost wages, lost earning capacity and property damage.
• Non-economic damages: pain and suffering, emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life. Georgia does not cap these in ordinary injury cases.
• Punitive damages: only with clear and convincing evidence of willful misconduct, malice, wantonness or conscious indifference. They are generally capped at $250,000, but not when the defendant intended harm or was under the influence of alcohol or drugs (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1).

A spouse may also bring a separate claim for loss of consortium, which covers the injury's toll on the marriage.

How long do you have to file a personal injury claim in Georgia?

Most Georgia injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33). Other limits and exceptions:

• Wrongful death: two years from the death itself. In some situations, such as when an estate has no administrator, the deadline can be paused; don't count on it.
• Loss of consortium: four years. Property damage: also four years (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-31).
• Children: the injury deadline generally doesn't run until age 18, but parents' claims for a child's medical bills follow different rules.
• Crime victims: a pending prosecution may extend the deadline (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-99), but it is fact-specific, and no one should rely on it.
• Government defendants: before suing, you must send written ante litem notice. It is due within 6 months for a city (O.C.G.A. § 36-33-5) and 12 months for a county (§ 36-11-1) or the State of Georgia (§ 50-21-26). State claims are capped at $1 million per person and $3 million per occurrence (O.C.G.A. § 50-21-29).

Worried a deadline is close? Call (240) 421-5511, and Gary will tell you which deadline applies to your case.

How do fault and insurance work in Georgia?

The 50% rule

Georgia uses modified comparative negligence (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33). If you are 50% or more at fault, you get nothing; under 50%, your award shrinks by your percentage. Fault can also be assigned to people who were never sued.

Whose insurance pays

• Vehicle crashes: Georgia is an at-fault state, so the at-fault driver's liability insurance pays. The minimum is only 25/50/25: $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage. Your own UM coverage, added-on or reduced-by, can add to that, and optional med-pay helps with bills regardless of fault.
• Falls and unsafe property: the owner's or manager's liability insurance.
• Dog bites: the owner's homeowner's or renter's policy may apply.
• Work injuries: workers' compensation, plus any claim against a negligent outside party.

What SB 68 changed

Georgia's 2025 tort-reform law, signed April 21, 2025, changed several rules. In pending and future cases, juries can hear evidence that you weren't wearing a seat belt.

For claims arising on or after that date, juries may hear what health insurers actually paid, letters of protection are discoverable, and negligent-security claims are narrower. See what SB 68 means for injured people.

What does it cost to hire Gary?

The first consultation is free. Our firm handles injury cases on a contingency fee, which means no attorney's fee unless we recover compensation for you. Gary explains the written fee agreement, including how case expenses are handled, before you sign anything.

What should you bring to your free consultation?

Bring what you have. None of this is required to get started.

• The police or incident report, or just the report number
• Photos and video of the scene, the vehicles, the hazard or your injuries
• Your auto insurance card and policy declarations page, which shows your UM type
• The other party's name, insurer and claim number
• ER discharge papers, prescriptions and your health insurance card
• Bills, receipts and explanation-of-benefits statements
• Recent pay stubs or a W-2 to show lost income
• Letters, emails or texts from any insurance company, and adjusters' names
• Witness names and phone numbers
• For a dog bite, the animal control report; for a death, the death certificate and any probate papers

Missing most of this? Call (240) 421-5511 anyway. Gary can request records for you.

Why do people call Gary Huggins?

When you hire our firm, Gary Huggins is your lawyer: the person you talk to, who reviews your records and who negotiates with the insurer.

• Twenty years of practice. Gary was admitted in Maryland in 2005 and joined the State Bar of Georgia in 2023.
• Training. He earned his J.D. from Western Michigan University law school in 2004 and served as editor-in-chief of the law review.
• A business background. Before law, he worked in banking, commercial real estate and business development.
• Range. He built a law practice with national reach alongside his wife, has represented professional athletes, and has done pro bono work for inner-city clients.
• Conviction. He has supported constitutional civil-rights nonprofits, including amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court, and has helped many people facing bankruptcy and foreclosure. As an adoptive parent, he helped expose an international adoption fraud scheme that harmed families.
• Access. He speaks Spanish, the phone is answered around the clock, and he can meet you at the office, by video, or at your home or hospital bedside.

Gary's motto is simple: “Where every client is family.” Read more about Gary's background.

Areas we serve across metro Atlanta

From the office on Crown Pointe Parkway, near I-285 and GA-400, Gary serves clients throughout metro Atlanta and Georgia, including:

• DeKalb County: Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville, Tucker and Decatur
• Fulton County: Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta and Johns Creek
• Gwinnett County: Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Duluth and Lawrenceville
• Cobb County: Marietta and Smyrna

Large Spanish-speaking communities live along Buford Highway and in parts of Gwinnett, and Gary speaks Spanish. Spanish-speaking families can find información en español.

Talk to an Atlanta personal injury lawyer today

Gary's office is at 1050 Crown Pointe Parkway, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30338, in the Perimeter Center area of Dunwoody, minutes from the I-285 and GA-400 interchange and Perimeter Mall. Call (240) 421-5511 day or night for a free consultation, or ask Gary to come to you.