Can I assert a civil claim or file a lawsuit against the owner of the vehicle which caused the accident?
Possibly yes. As a general rule, in Georgia, mere ownership of the at-fault vehicle does not make the owner automatically liable for accidents involving his vehicle. In other words, under Georgia law, owners of cars, trucks and motorcycles are not vicariously liable for the negligence of persons who drive their vehicles solely because of their status as owner. There are three primary exceptions to this general rule. The first is the doctrine of respondeat superior. If the owner of the vehicle is also the employer of the negligent driver, then the owner can be held vicariously liable if the accident took place while the employee was operating the vehicle during the “course and scope” of his employment. The second exception involves what is known as the family purpose doctrine. Under this doctrine, the owner of the vehicle can be held liable if the negligent driver is related to and lived with the owner at the time of the accident, and it is shown that the at-fault vehicle was provided t
