LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – May 11, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
1Georgia Injury Lawyers announces expanded legal support for Buford and Gwinnett County motorists navigating significant changes to Georgia’s personal injury law following the April 2025 enactment of Senate Bill 68. The firm’s response comes as Gwinnett County maintains its position among Georgia’s top four counties for total traffic crash volume, alongside recent fatal crashes including a July 2024 incident at the I-85/I-985 interchange near Buford.
Gwinnett County consistently ranks with Fulton, DeKalb, and Cobb counties for the highest crash volumes in Georgia, according to Georgia Office of Highway Safety and Georgia Department of Transportation data. The county’s rapid population growth and expanding commercial corridors along I-985, Buford Drive, and the Mall of Georgia interchange contribute to sustained crash exposure for motorists. Georgia recorded 367,523 total traffic crashes in 2024, resulting in 1,596 fatalities and more than 143,000 injuries, with Gwinnett County accounting for a disproportionate share of Metro Atlanta’s total.
Senate Bill 68, signed April 21, 2025, introduces three provisions that directly affect how car accident victims recover compensation. The law removes Georgia’s longstanding seatbelt gag rule, allowing defense attorneys to introduce seatbelt non-use as evidence of comparative fault in all motor vehicle cases. The phantom damages provision caps recovery at amounts actually paid by health insurance rather than full billed amounts, potentially reducing compensation by 30 to 50 percent. Additionally, the discovery stay provision automatically pauses evidence gathering for up to 90 days when defendants file motions to dismiss.
“Gwinnett County’s high crash volume means victims already face experienced insurance defense teams, and Senate Bill 68 hands those teams powerful new tools to reduce claims,” said a firm representative for 1Georgia Injury Lawyers. “The 90-day discovery stay gives insurers a window to shape the evidence record while victims cannot gather their own evidence. Combined with the seatbelt evidence rule and phantom damages cap, these changes make immediate legal representation critical for anyone injured in a Buford car accident.”
The July 2024 fatal crash at the I-85/I-985 interchange near Buford, which shut down multiple southbound lanes and required investigation by the Gwinnett County Police Department, represents one of multiple documented serious crashes on Buford’s primary interstate corridor within the past twelve months. These incidents underscore the ongoing risks facing local motorists as traffic volumes continue increasing across the region’s major transportation routes.
For victims seeking a Buford car accident lawyer, the two-year statute of limitations under Georgia law begins running on the crash date, regardless of Senate Bill 68’s new procedural framework. The firm emphasizes that preserving evidence from I-985 and I-85 corridor crashes before it becomes overwritten and building medical documentation strategies that account for the phantom damages cap require immediate action.
1Georgia Injury Lawyers is a network of personal injury law firms serving Buford, Gwinnett County, and communities throughout Georgia. The firm handles car accident claims, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, rideshare collisions, and workers’ compensation cases on a contingency fee basis, with no upfront costs and free case reviews available 24 hours a day. As a 1Georgia Buford car accident lawyer resource, the firm serves Buford, Sugar Hill, Braselton, Flowery Branch, Gainesville, and surrounding Gwinnett County communities.
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For more information about 1Georgia Injury Lawyers, contact the company here:
1Georgia Injury Lawyers
Firm Representative
706-954-2023
leads@1georgia.com
1590 Atkinson Rd, Suite 207A, Lawrenceville, GA
