---
title: O.C.G.A. § 51-1-32. Separate causes of action for personal injury and property damage caused by motor vehicle.
collection: code
id: 51-1-32
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 51-1-32 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-1-32
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-1-32.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/51-1-32/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=6b891965_0#page=197
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: TORTS / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 51-1-32. Separate causes of action for personal injury and property damage caused by motor vehicle.

In cases arising from the wrongful or negligent operation of a motor vehicle in which the single wrongful or negligent act causes or results in both physical injuries to a person and injuries to the property of such person, the injured person shall have a separate and distinct cause of action against the person whose wrongful or negligent act caused such injury for the physical injury to his person and a separate and distinct cause of action for the injuries to his property. The injured party shall have the right, in his sole discretion, to prosecute each cause of action separately or to combine the two causes of action in one single action.

## History

Code 1933, § 105-1301A, enacted by Ga. L. 1973, p. 295, § 1.

## Cross References

Settlement offers and agreement for personal injury, bodily injury, and death from motor vehicle, § 9-11-67.1. Criminal penalties for homicide by vehicle and serious injury by vehicle, §§ 40-6-393, 40-6-394.

## Law Reviews

For article advocating moderate reform of auto accident compensation system prior to Georgia’s adoption of the Georgia Motor Vehicle Accident Reparations Act, see 5 Ga. St. B. J. 321 (1969).

For note discussing the family purpose car doctrine as an extension of the principle of respondeat superior, see 3 Ga. St. B. J. 112 (1966).