Macon County, GA Personal Injury Law Firms & Lawyers

Well, you are being charged, so that answers that question. Yes, you do have a defense, but it is unlikely that you would be able to get the case dismissed on that basis. Unfair as it may seem, as you describe it, the guy was taking your property and you responded with physical violence against him. So, you're the one who escalated. You're the one who threw the first punch.

Decades ago, insurers would pay three to five times the special damages (medical bills, earnings loss, travel expenses to treatments) in general damages (pain, suffering, disability). Now, certain kinds of injuries have certain values. Muscle / ligament sprain/ strains have a value less than bone fractures, intervertebral disc herniations, cartilage/ligament tears, head injuries, etc. The value of general damages now depends on the nature and extent of the injuries, how long the treatment lasts, surgery v. non-surgery, complete resolution of the injuries v. permanency of the injuries, etc. Sometimes it depends on how much insurance coverage is available. Consult with an experienced injury lawyer. You'll still end up netting more even after fees and costs than if you try to deal directly with the insurer(s).

In this case, you open claim under your own insurance policy, under the uninsured motorist portion of coverage. Then you go about proving your losses just as you would another person's insurance company. That is why insurance companies provide uninsured motorist coverage.