Benefits for Georgia Drivers Who Have Wrecked Cars Repaired

You’ve had a car accident, and your vehicle has been damaged. You need to know what to do after a car accident and who is going to pay for your damages. You’re told not to worry because the insurance company will cover the cost of repairs. Are you satisfied with this outcome? You shouldn’t be. If you’re seeking benefits owed to Georgia drivers who have wrecked cars repaired, Atlanta car accident attorneys Goldstein & Hayes, P.C. want you to know that you may be entitled to additional Georgia benefits for wrecked cars.

Georgia Benefits for Wrecked Cars

This compensation is for “diminished value” of your vehicle and refers to the fact that a vehicle involved in a crash, even if it’s perfectly repaired, has a lower resale price than an accident-free vehicle. If you are an insured driver in Georgia, you have the right to be compensated for the diminished value, which is the difference in resale value between an accident-free vehicle and an identical vehicle damaged in an accident.

Benefits for Wrecked Cars Atlanta

But it may not be that easy. Your insurer may “agree” to compensate for diminished value using the “17C Formula” worked out between the parties in the Georgia Supreme Court case of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company v. Mabry et al. The problem is that this formula allows insurers to minimize the benefits for wrecked cars. Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine made it clear in a 2008 directive that his office does not endorse the 17C Formula. If you have credible evidence of diminished value that exceeds the value determined by the formula, you’re entitled to the greater value.

Contact an Atlanta Car Accident Attorney

To make sure that a Georgia insurer pays full compensation for benefits owed to Georgia drivers who have wrecked cars repaired, not only for repairs, but for diminished value, as well, contact attorneys Goldstein & Hayes, P.C. We’ll protect your rights and make sure you are fully compensated for all your expenses and losses.