If you were hurt in a wreck on Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Buford Highway or I-85, you need clear answers before the insurance adjuster starts asking questions. Gary Huggins of Huggins Accident Injury Lawyer is a Norcross personal injury lawyer who represents people hurt in car, truck and pedestrian crashes across Norcross and the rest of Gwinnett County. He speaks Spanish, and he will come to your home or hospital room if that's easier than the drive to our office in Perimeter Center.
¿Prefiere hablar en español? Gary habla español. Llame al (240) 421-5511 o visite nuestra página de Norcross en español.
Where Norcross crashes happen
Norcross sits where several of Gwinnett's busiest roads come together. These corridors deserve extra care:
- Jimmy Carter Boulevard. Wide, fast and lined with driveways into shopping centers, gas stations and restaurants. Left turns across several lanes and drivers pulling out of parking lots set up side-impact crashes.
- The I-85 interchange at Jimmy Carter. Drivers leave the interstate at speed and run into stopped traffic at the end of the ramps, a classic setup for rear-end collisions.
- Buford Highway. The international corridor runs through Norcross with long gaps between crosswalks, so people on foot cross where they can.
- I-85. Heavy commuter and freight traffic moves to and from Spaghetti Junction, where I-85 meets I-285 a few miles southwest of downtown Norcross.
- Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Beaver Ruin Road, Indian Trail Road and Holcomb Bridge Road. Busy connectors where quick lane changes and sudden stops can trigger chain-reaction crashes at rush hour.
Norcross Police or Gwinnett County Police: who has your report?
The agency that writes your crash report depends on exactly where the crash happened.
- Inside the city limits, Norcross Police respond.
- Many homes and businesses with a "Norcross" mailing address are actually in unincorporated Gwinnett County. There, Gwinnett County Police work the crash.
- On I-85, Georgia State Patrol troopers or county officers may handle it.
Before you leave the scene, ask the officer which agency they work for and for the report number. Most metro agencies upload crash reports to BuyCrash.com within a few days, where you can buy a copy for a small fee. Can't find it? The agency's records unit can give you one.
Read the report carefully. The officer's opinion about who caused the crash generally can't be used at trial, but the names, insurance details, diagram and statements inside it are valuable.
Hospitals that treat Norcross crash injuries
Paramedics choose the hospital based on your injuries. From Norcross, that may be Northside Hospital Gwinnett in Lawrenceville, which the Georgia Department of Public Health lists as a Level II trauma center, or Northside Hospital Duluth. The most critical patients may go to Grady Memorial Hospital downtown, a Level I trauma center.
If you skipped the ER, get checked within a day or two. Concussions, neck injuries and internal bleeding don't always show up right away, and a gap in treatment is one of the first things an adjuster points to.
Walking along Buford Highway and Jimmy Carter Boulevard
Plenty of Norcross residents walk to work, to the bus stop or to the store. When a car hits someone on foot, the injuries are often severe.
Georgia law protects pedestrians. Drivers must stop and stay stopped for a person in a crosswalk on their half of the road (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-91). Someone crossing outside a crosswalk has to yield to cars (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-92), but crossing mid-block does not automatically end your claim. A driver who was speeding, texting or not watching the road can still carry most of the blame.
If the driver kept going, report it to police right away. Your own uninsured motorist coverage may cover a hit-and-run, but Georgia sets reporting and proof requirements for those claims. Our article on Buford Highway pedestrian safety covers more.
Talk it through with Gary tonight, in English or Spanish: call (240) 421-5511.
The Georgia rules that decide a Norcross claim
- Two years to file. Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the crash (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33), and wrongful death claims within two years of the death. Claims against a government move faster: written notice is due within six months for a city like Norcross and within 12 months for Gwinnett County or the state.
- The 50% rule. If you are 50% or more at fault, you recover nothing. Under 50%, your award shrinks by your share of the blame (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33).
- The at-fault driver's insurance pays. Georgia is an at-fault state. Drivers must carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for injuries, plus $25,000 for property damage.
- Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage fills the gap. When the other driver's coverage runs out, or there isn't any, your own UM coverage can step in. Unless the policyholder picked "reduced-by" coverage in writing, Georgia policies since 2009 default to "added-on" UM, which pays in addition to the other driver's limits.
Why a Norcross lawsuit may be heard in Lawrenceville
Most injury claims start as negotiations with an insurance company. If yours becomes a lawsuit, it is often filed in the State Court of Gwinnett County or the Superior Court, both at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville.
Venue depends on who is being sued. A case usually belongs in the at-fault driver's home county, and for some companies, where the crash happened. So a Norcross wreck with a DeKalb County driver could end up in Decatur instead.
Any traffic ticket from the crash goes to a separate court and is not part of your injury claim.
What Gary does in the first seven days
- Meets you where you are, at home, at the hospital, by video or at the office, and explains your options in English or Spanish.
- Gets the crash report from Norcross Police, Gwinnett County Police or the State Patrol, and tracks down witnesses.
- Asks businesses to save video. Gas stations and shopping centers along Jimmy Carter and Buford Highway often have cameras, and footage can be recorded over quickly.
- Takes over the insurance calls, so adjusters deal with him instead of you.
- Finds every policy that may apply: the other driver's liability coverage, your UM coverage, and an employer's policy if the driver was on the job.
- Moves fast on trucks. If a commercial truck hit you, he asks the carrier to preserve its driver logs and vehicle data.
Your first conversation is a free consultation. Reach Gary at (240) 421-5511, day or night.
Injury cases we handle for Norcross families
- Norcross car accident lawyer: wrecks on Jimmy Carter, Buford Highway, Peachtree Industrial and I-85
- Truck accidents: federal rules require interstate for-hire carriers of general freight to carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage (49 C.F.R. § 387.9)
- Pedestrian accidents: people hit while walking or waiting for a bus
- Motorcycle accidents: riders hurt by drivers who didn't look
- Wrongful death: when a family loses someone in a crash
Getting to our office from Norcross
Gary's office is at 1050 Crown Pointe Parkway, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30338, in Perimeter Center near I-285 and GA-400.
From Norcross, take I-85 south to Spaghetti Junction, then I-285 west across the Top End and exit at Ashford-Dunwoody Road. Peachtree Industrial Boulevard south to I-285 also works. Either way, it's about 15 to 20 minutes outside rush hour.
If you can't drive right now, or you'd rather not, Gary will come to you in Norcross.
Talk to a Norcross personal injury lawyer today
Call (240) 421-5511 whenever you're ready, day or night. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the consultation is free.
There is no attorney's fee unless we recover compensation for you. Gary meets Norcross clients at our Crown Pointe Parkway office in Perimeter Center, at home, by video or at the hospital, and he is glad to do it in Spanish.
Free consultation. Gary meets Norcross clients at our Perimeter Center office, by video, or at home or in the hospital. (240) 421-5511
Cases we handle in Norcross
Pages for the most common claims we see in Norcross:
Questions people ask about norcross personal injury
Can I talk to a Norcross injury lawyer in Spanish?
Yes. Gary Huggins speaks Spanish, and you're welcome to tell him about the crash in whichever language feels easier. He can go over Georgia's deadlines and insurance rules in Spanish and meet you at home in Norcross, at the hospital, by video or at our Perimeter Center office. You can also read nuestra página de Norcross en español.
Will Norcross Police or Gwinnett County Police have my crash report?
It depends on exactly where the crash happened. Norcross Police handle crashes inside the city limits, Gwinnett County Police cover the many 'Norcross' addresses in unincorporated Gwinnett, and the Georgia State Patrol may work crashes on I-85. Check any paperwork the officer gave you for the agency name and report number, then look on BuyCrash.com or contact that agency's records unit.
Can I recover if I was hit crossing Buford Highway outside a crosswalk?
Possibly. Georgia law says a pedestrian crossing outside a crosswalk must yield to vehicles, so the driver's insurer will argue you share the blame. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, though, you can still recover if you are less than 50% at fault, with your award reduced by your share. A driver who was speeding or distracted may carry most of the fault, so witnesses and video matter.
The driver who hit me in Norcross had no insurance or drove away. What now?
Your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage may pay. It can cover drivers with no insurance, drivers with too little, and many hit-and-run crashes. For a hit-and-run, report it to police right away, because Georgia has reporting and proof requirements for those claims. A UM claim also has technical filing steps once a lawsuit begins, so get advice early.
Who pays my medical bills while my Norcross claim is pending?
In Georgia, the at-fault driver's insurer usually pays when the claim settles, not bill by bill. Until then, your health insurance or the optional medical payments (med-pay) coverage on your own auto policy may cover treatment, and med-pay applies no matter who caused the crash. Hospitals can also place a lien on your settlement under O.C.G.A. § 44-14-470. Gary helps you sort out which bills go where.
How long do I have to file a claim after a Norcross crash?
Most injury claims in Georgia must be filed within two years of the crash (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33), and claims for damage to your vehicle within four years. When a city or county vehicle is involved, the government must get written notice far sooner: within six months for a city such as Norcross and 12 months for Gwinnett County. Calling early protects the evidence as well as the deadline.