Hit and Run Accident Attorney Duluth, GA
If you were hurt in a hit-and-run accident, you are dealing not only with the injustice of someone hitting you then driving away, but also physical pain and injuries, worry about not being able to work and, in serious cases, worry about whether you’ll even recover fully. Our Duluth, GA hit-and-run lawyer is here to take your legal worries off your shoulders. The law in Georgia provides real options for injured victims even when a driver flees. The key is acting quickly to protect those options.
Our firm represents injured victims throughout Gwinnett County. We know how to pursue every path to compensation when a driver has fled the scene. Founded in 1996 and backed by over 60 years of combined attorney experience, Burrow & Associates has been representing seriously injured Georgians for nearly three decades. Contact us for a free case evaluation.
Why Choose Burrow & Associates for Hit and Run Cases in Duluth, GA?
Local Experience Protecting Injured Victims in Gwinnett County
Hit-and-run accident claims require a different approach than standard vehicle accident cases. When the driver who hurt you is unknown or has not been apprehended, your own uninsured motorist policy becomes your primary recovery mechanism. Additionally, Georgia law imposes specific procedural requirements that, if missed, can jeopardize your claim. When the driver is eventually identified, a separate criminal prosecution runs alongside your civil case, and the evidence from that investigation can directly support your recovery. Our attorneys have handled personal injury cases in Duluth, GA and throughout Gwinnett County for years. We know how to build and preserve hit-and-run claims at every stage, whether the driver is known or not.
Michael F. Burrow joined Burrow & Associates in 2007. He earned his Juris Doctorate cum laude from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School and holds a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Before entering the practice of law, Mr. Burrow spent 14 years conducting biomedical research on federally funded programs in collaboration with Emory University and the Medical College of Georgia, and served as Vice President of Operations for DocuSys, Inc., a medical technology company. That analytical and scientific background shapes how he investigates accidents, challenges insurer positions, and constructs the evidentiary record needed to support claims against both identified drivers and UM carriers.
A Proven Record of Results for Injured Clients
Our firm has recovered millions of dollars for injured clients across Georgia, including $1,000,000 in an insurance bad-faith case, $885,000 in a wrongful death matter, and $500,000 in a pedestrian accident case. When insurance companies deny or minimize legitimate claims after a hit-and-run, we know how to hold them accountable. Every personal injury settlement we pursue must account for the full scope of a client’s losses, including future medical needs, lost earnings, and non-economic harm that does not show up on a bill.
Contingency Fees and No Upfront Costs
Hit-and-run cases at Burrow & Associates are handled on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing to retain us and owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. The financial burden of an unexpected injury is already significant. Legal costs should not be part of it.
Recognized in the Georgia Legal Community
Burrow & Associates is listed on Martindale-Hubbell and carries recognition consistent with Super Lawyers standards, as well as membership with the National Trial Lawyers. Nearly three decades of practice representing injured Georgians reflects a standard of representation that clients in serious cases can depend on.
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“I reached out to Burrow & Associates due to one phrase on their advertisement—Faith is our Foundation. Please know this firm evidences a care and respect for their clients that is professional but also compassionate. Their responses to my questions were always prompt and courteous. Any communication I sent was answered the same day—usually within a hour or less. They never gave the impression that I was a bother or that they were too busy to help me understand legal processes. Words cannot describe how caring and patient they are. My attorney thoroughly prepared me for each and every step; never leaving me in the dark. I am so very thankful to have found this firm and pray God continues to expand their territory. I highly recommend Burrow & Associates!” — Daniela Rose
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Types of Hit and Run Accident Cases We Handle in Duluth
Hit-and-run accidents affect many different types of road users, and the recovery strategy depends on the circumstances, the type of coverage available, and whether the at-fault driver is ever identified. It can be hard to figure out what to do after a hit-and-run, but a call to our car accident attorneys in Duluth is always a good first step. We handle the full range.
- Pedestrian accidents. Walkers and joggers are among the most vulnerable victims in these crashes. According to NHTSA crash data, there were an estimated 68,244 pedestrians injured in traffic crashes in 2023 alone. When a driver strikes a pedestrian and flees, the physical, emotional, and legal consequences are severe. We investigate and pursue every available recovery path.
- Car accidents. Occupants of vehicles struck by fleeing drivers have the same uninsured motorist recovery options available to them. Prompt reporting and early legal involvement are critical to preserving the claim.
- Motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle riders are particularly vulnerable when struck by a driver who flees. These crashes frequently result in catastrophic injuries, and the combination of severe injury and an unknown at-fault driver demands immediate and thorough legal action.
- Truck accidents. Commercial vehicles that flee accident scenes present a different fact pattern than passenger vehicles. Carrier identification, electronic logs, and regulatory evidence can often help trace the vehicle even when the driver initially cannot be identified.
- Bicyclist accidents. Cyclists face disproportionate risk in hit-and-run crashes. Recovering compensation through UM coverage and prompt investigation is essential to preserving the claim.
- Wrongful death. When a hit-and-run crash takes a life, surviving family members may pursue wrongful death and survival damages under Georgia law. These cases require urgent preservation of evidence and may benefit from a criminal investigation running in parallel.
Georgia Legal Requirements for Hit and Run Accident Cases
Understanding Georgia’s legal framework for hit-and-run injury claims is essential before you give any statements to an insurance company or sign anything. Before you consider a settlement with your insurer, speak with our Duluth hit and run attorneys about your legal options.
Under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-270, every driver involved in an accident that causes injury, death, or damage to an occupied vehicle must stop immediately, provide their identifying information, and render reasonable assistance to any injured party. Knowingly failing to do so is a criminal offense. When the crash results in only non-serious injury or property damage, leaving the scene is a misdemeanor. When it proximately causes serious injury or death, it becomes a felony carrying up to five years imprisonment. From your perspective as an injured victim, a driver’s conviction under this statute can constitute negligence per se in your civil case, meaning their liability is established as a matter of law rather than something you must prove independently.
When the driver is unknown or has not been found, your recovery pathway is reporting the accident through your own uninsured motorist coverage under O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11. Georgia law treats a vehicle operated by an unknown driver as uninsured. You may file suit naming “John Doe” as the defendant and serve your UM carrier as if it were a party defendant. However, there are conditions. Under O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11(b)(2), if the unknown vehicle made no physical contact with you, Georgia generally requires an independent eyewitness who can corroborate that an unknown driver caused the accident. Physical contact, demonstrated through property damage, typically satisfies this requirement on its own.
Georgia’s modified comparative fault statute, O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, applies to hit-and-run claims. Your recovery is reduced in proportion to your share of fault and is eliminated entirely at 50% or more. UM carriers sometimes raise fault arguments to reduce what they owe. The statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years from the date of the accident under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. The Georgia General Assembly and the Georgia Department of Driver Services are authoritative references on the statutes and driver obligations that govern these claims.
What Damages Are Recoverable in a Duluth Hit and Run Accident?
Georgia law permits injured hit-and-run victims to pursue the same categories of compensation available in any personal injury case. The source of that recovery shifts depending on whether the at-fault driver is identified, but the categories of harm you can seek compensation for remain the same.
Economic damages cover the documentable financial losses your injuries have caused. Medical expenses, including emergency treatment, post-accident delayed injury treatment, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, and anticipated future care, are fully recoverable. Lost wages from time away from work and any reduction in future earning capacity are compensable. Out-of-pocket costs tied directly to the accident and your recovery also fall within this category.
Non-economic damages address losses that do not appear on a bill but are genuine and often significant. Pain and suffering, emotional distress, anxiety, loss of enjoyment of life, and the way your injuries have altered your daily routines and personal relationships are all recognized under Georgia law. Georgia does not impose a statutory cap on non-economic damages in personal injury cases, which matters greatly in serious hit-and-run injury claims.
Punitive damages are available under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1 when an identified at-fault driver’s conduct was reckless, willful, or wanton. Deliberately fleeing the scene of an accident is itself evidence of conduct that can support a punitive claim. When the driver is found, we tie that criminal act of abandoning an injured person to our argument for punitive damages. Your uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage remains the foundation of recovery in most hit-and-run cases, and understanding whether your policy is add-on or reduced-by affects your total available compensation.
Contact Burrow & Associates
If you were hurt in a hit-and-run accident in Duluth or anywhere in Gwinnett County, Burrow & Associates is ready to evaluate your case and help you understand your options. There are no upfront fees and no costs of any kind unless we recover compensation for you. Consultations are free, and we make every effort to respond the same day.
Contact us to speak with our Duluth hit and run accident attorney about your claim.
