If you have lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence in Georgia, understanding your legal rights is a critical first step toward justice. This guide covers Georgia’s wrongful death laws, profiles three law firms that handle these cases, and answers the most important questions families face.
Introduction
Losing a family member due to another party’s negligence is devastating. Georgia is widely considered one of the most plaintiff-friendly states in the country for wrongful death claims, thanks to a unique damages standard that sets it apart from every other state.
Georgia Wrongful Death Laws
The Georgia Wrongful Death Statute
Georgia’s wrongful death law is governed by Georgia Code § 51-4-1. Georgia uses a uniquely favorable damages standard: plaintiffs are entitled to the “full value of the life” of the deceased, viewed from the perspective of the deceased – not just the family’s financial loss. This standard allows juries to consider the full human value of the life lost.
Who Can File
Georgia allows the spouse, children, or parents of the deceased to file directly, without needing a court-appointed Personal Representative.
Statute of Limitations
Georgia imposes a 2-year statute of limitations, measured from the date of death.
Recoverable Damages
Georgia allows recovery for the full value of life of the deceased and funeral expenses. There are no caps on wrongful death damages in Georgia.
Survival Action
Georgia maintains a separate survival action alongside the wrongful death claim. The survival action allows the estate to recover for the deceased’s own pre-death losses.
Top 4 Wrongful Death Attorneys in Georgia
1. Reynolds, Horne & Survant
Location: Macon, GA (Serving clients throughout Georgia and nationwide) Phone: (478) 405-0300 Website: https://reynoldsinjurylaw.com/practice-area/wrongful-death/
Reynolds, Horne & Survant is a Macon-based trial firm with Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent ratings and Super Lawyers recognition. They handle wrongful death cases across the full spectrum of negligence – car and truck accidents, medical malpractice, premises liability, plane crashes, and nursing home negligence. Their attorneys understand that Georgia’s wrongful death statute covers both economic losses and non-economic losses like loss of consortium for surviving spouses, and they pursue both the wrongful death claim and the estate’s survival action simultaneously to maximize total recovery.
2. Adams, Jordan & Herrington, P.C.
Location: Macon, Milledgeville & Albany, GA Phone: (478) 743-2159 Website: https://www.adamsjordan.com/personal-injury/wrongful-death/
Adams, Jordan & Herrington serves families throughout Middle Georgia with offices in Macon, Milledgeville, and Albany. They handle the full range of wrongful death causes – trucking collisions, medical errors, construction accidents, drowning incidents, and premises liability deaths. The firm emphasizes that Georgia’s full value of life standard reaches beyond financial losses to capture every dimension of what the deceased contributed – the guidance, the laughter, the daily presence that cannot be replaced. They work contingency-only, meaning families pay nothing unless a recovery is made.
3. Gautreaux Law
Location: Macon, GA (Serving Warner Robins and all of Georgia) Phone: (478) 238-9758 Website: https://gautreauxlawfirm.com/personal-injury-cases/wrongful-death-representation/
Gautreaux Law is a Macon personal injury firm led by Attorney Jarome Gautreaux and his team, with specific experience in wrongful death and survival claims across Georgia. They emphasize the distinction between the wrongful death claim – which pursues the full value of life – and the parallel estate claim, which recovers for the deceased’s pain, suffering, and medical expenses before death. Their approach combines empathy with rigorous investigation, including collaboration with medical and accident reconstruction experts to build cases ready for trial.
4. Prine Law Group
Location: Macon, GA (Serving Bibb, Laurens, and surrounding Middle Georgia counties) Phone: (478) 257-6333 Website: https://www.prinelaw.com/personal-injury/wrongful-death/
Prine Law Group is a Macon trial firm with Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent peer ratings and membership in the American Association for Justice. Led by Joseph R. Prine Jr., the firm handles wrongful death claims arising from motor vehicle collisions, medical errors, workplace incidents, criminal conduct, and unsafe property conditions. They pursue both the family’s wrongful death claim and the estate’s separate survival action, and they note that Georgia’s full value of life standard applies regardless of whether the deceased had income – a child’s life, an elderly parent’s life, a homemaker’s life all carry full legal weight under Georgia law.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Georgia’s “full value of life” standard?
Georgia’s full value of life standard is one of the most plaintiff-friendly damages frameworks in the country. Rather than limiting recovery to the family’s financial losses, the jury considers the full human value of the deceased’s life – including the value of the life to the deceased themselves, not just to the survivors. This can result in substantially higher verdicts than the pecuniary loss frameworks used by most other states.
Who can file a wrongful death lawsuit in Georgia?
Georgia allows the spouse, children, or parents to file directly. This direct filing right is more convenient than states requiring a court-appointed representative.
Are there caps on damages in Georgia?
No. Georgia imposes no caps on wrongful death damages.
What should I do immediately after losing a loved one due to negligence?
Contact a wrongful death attorney immediately. The 2-year deadline runs from the date of death. Preserve all evidence. Do not speak with the responsible party’s insurance company before consulting an attorney.
Closing
Georgia’s full value of life standard and absence of damage caps make it one of the strongest states for wrongful death plaintiffs. The firms listed above have the trial experience to maximize recovery under Georgia’s unique legal framework. If you have lost a loved one due to another party’s negligence, contact one of these attorneys today.
For immediate grief support, contact the National Alliance for Grieving Children at (866) 432-1542.