{"id":2909,"date":"2026-10-26T03:58:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T03:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tmaddenlaw.com\/guides\/car-accident-lawyer-georgia\/what-is-the-definition-of-personal-injury\/"},"modified":"2026-11-04T01:42:42","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T01:42:42","slug":"what-is-the-definition-of-personal-injury","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tmaddenlaw.com\/guides\/car-accident-lawyer-georgia\/what-is-the-definition-of-personal-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Personal Injury Definition in Georgia: Plain-Language Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Georgia Personal Injury Guide<\/p>

What Does Personal Injury Mean in Georgia?<\/h1>

A plain-language guide from T. Madden & Associates, P.C., a Georgia personal injury firm in practice since 1999.<\/p>

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About the firm<\/h2>\n

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1999<\/h3>

In practice since<\/p><\/div>

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5<\/h3>

Offices: Jonesboro, Atlanta, Decatur, Macon and Augusta<\/p><\/div>

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24\/7<\/h3>

Phone line available<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

By Terance Madden \u00b7 Published October 25, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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Personal injury<\/strong> is a civil claim for harm to a person’s body, mind, or property that another party’s wrongful conduct caused. This page answers the question What is the definition of personal injury?<\/em> in plain Georgia terms.<\/p>\n

A civil claim means the injured person asks the responsible party to pay for the harm. It is not a criminal charge.<\/p>\n

T. Madden & Associates, P.C. has practiced personal injury law in Georgia since 1999. If you’re reading this after a crash, a fall, or another event you didn’t choose, you aren’t alone in trying to make sense of it.<\/p>\n

What Personal Injury Means in Plain Terms<\/h2>\n

So, what is the definition of personal injury? It is the legal route to recover money for harm that a wrongful act caused. The term names both the type of case and the claim you file.<\/p>\n

The injury is the harm you suffered. The claim is how the law lets you seek compensation for it.<\/p>\n

Many claims start with a physical injury, like a broken leg after a crash. Others involve lost income, damaged property, or emotional harm that follows a physical injury. Georgia treats these as civil matters. The injured person brings the claim against the person or business they say is responsible.<\/p>\n

For a broader look at how these cases work in Georgia, read our car accident lawyer<\/a> page.<\/p>\n\n

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If a crash or fall has left you wondering who is responsible, you don't have to sort it out alone, and our team is ready to talk it through with you. Talk it through with our team — the first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation.<\/p>

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The Core Idea: Negligence and Someone Else’s Fault<\/h2>\n

Most personal injury claims rest on negligence. Negligence means someone failed to take reasonable care, and that failure caused harm.<\/p>\n

Georgia law describes the standard of care. Under O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-1-2<\/a>, ordinary diligence is the care that ordinarily prudent people use in the same or similar circumstances. When that care is missing, the law calls it ordinary negligence.<\/p>\n

O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-1-6<\/a> adds that when the law requires a person to perform an act for the benefit of another or to refrain from doing an act which may injure another, an injured party may recover for breach of that legal duty if they suffer damage from it.<\/p>\n

Take a driver who runs a red light and hits a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The driver had a duty to drive carefully. Running the light may break that duty. The crash may cause the injury. The pedestrian’s medical bills and lost wages are the harm.<\/p>\n

Each piece has to fit the actual facts. Two crashes can look alike and still turn on different details.<\/p>\n

Types of Personal Injury Claims, Including Intentional Acts<\/h2>\n

Personal injury claims cover accidents, unsafe conditions, and some intentional acts. The firm handles these practice areas:<\/p>\n