Suing a Government Entity in Georgia: Counties 

If a county in Georgia is responsible for your injuries, you'll have more flexibility than you would when suing any other government entity in Georgia. When dealing with a county, you can submit your ante litem notice at the same time as your lawsuit. You have 12 months to turn in your ante litem notice, twice as long as when suing a municipal government entity in Georgia.

Suing a Government Entity in Georgia: the State of Georgia

If you plan to file a lawsuit against the state of Georgia, the process is even more involved and complex than with municipalities and counties. Before you can sue the state of Georgia, you must first submit an ante litem notice within 12 months after your injury was sustained. This means it's extremely important to meet with an Atlanta personal injury attorney soon after your accident in order to meet important deadlines.

Your ante litem notice to the state of Georgia should include: 

  • the name of the state agency responsible for your injuries;
  • the time and location where the accident occurred;
  • the kind of injuries you sustained;
  • how much you want to seek in damages; and
  • the negligence or recklessness of the state agency that caused your injuries.  


Extremely specific instructions apply to how to submit your ante litem notice to the state, including the method of mailing, and the multiple parties to which an ante litem notice must be addressed. The experience of an Atlanta personal injury attorney in this process will be invaluable, and keep your case from being dismissed because of small mistakes.

Once you have submitted your ante litem notice to the state, the Department of Administrative Services must issue a response within 90 days. If you have not been offered a settlement within that time frame, your Atlanta personal injury attorney may proceed to file your Georgia personal injury lawsuit.

Suing a government entity in Georgia is an extremely involved process, and for the best chance of a favorable outcome, you'll want an experienced Atlanta personal injury attorney to help with your claim. In addition to filing the required ante litem notices on time, an Atlanta personal injury attorney can take your case to court with a Georgia personal injury lawsuit if your initial claim is denied.

Contacting an Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney

If you are the victim of someone else's negligence or carelessness, whether in a traffic accident or some other type of accident, you have certain rights guaranteed by law. To help you understand these rights and seek the compensation you may be eligible for to help get your life back in order, contact the Atlanta Law Offices of Sheryl L. Burke for a no-cost consultation on your injury case.