The bill is no longer the number. Truck accident damages still start with medical expenses, yet Georgia changed how those expenses reach a jury.
Below, we explain which losses carry a dollar figure, what the new rule exposes, and where funeral costs actually belong.
Which Truck Accident Damages Carry a Dollar Figure
First, the measurable categories. Medical treatment, future care, lost wages, rehabilitation, and long-term attendant care all reduce to numbers.
One category gets confused constantly. Lost wages measure what you missed, while diminished earning capacity measures what you can no longer earn going forward.
The distinction pays. Someone can return to the same job at the same wage. Promotions, overtime capacity, and working years may still be gone.
Speak with a Charlotte car accident lawyer and get a free consultation today.
Call (980) 294-4931Why the Medical Bill Is No Longer the Claim
O.C.G.A. § 51-12-1.1 rewrote this in 2025. Health insurance changes the math. A jury now hears the amount charged and the amount actually needed to satisfy it.
Juries decide the rest. The statute asks them to find “the reasonable value of medically necessary care, treatment, or services.”
Georgia also opened a closed door. The rule abrogates the old collateral source bar for this purpose, though judges may instruct juries to prevent confusion.
So the billed total became a starting point. Consequently, proving reasonable value now takes more than a stack of statements.
What a Letter of Protection Exposes
Providers sometimes treat on a promise. That arrangement now carries disclosure obligations most patients never anticipate.
Four items become discoverable. The letter itself counts, along with itemized charges coded to standard billing practice. So does the sale price when an account gets sold at a discount. Finally, the disclosure names whoever made the referral.
Referral sources therefore matter. Our page on the car accident claim process explains why the choice of provider belongs to you.
Where Funeral Expenses Actually Belong
Families often misfile this one. Funeral and burial costs do not go to relatives as such.
O.C.G.A. § 51-4-5(b) places them with the estate. Our page on the Georgia wrongful death claim explains why that second filing matters.
Why Non-Economic Losses Need Their Own Answer
Economic proof is only half a claim. Pain, disfigurement, and lost enjoyment of life follow entirely different rules.
Those rules changed in 2025 as well. See our page on permanent disfigurement for how Georgia juries now value them.
Talk to an Atlanta Truck Accident Lawyer
Shane Smith Law builds the damages file before the demand goes out. Call (980) 246-2656 for a free consultation.
