The state will pay a hefty settlement following a serious crash stemming from a stop sign that attorneys say was “frequently knocked down by large trucks” because it was placed too close to the roadway.
The Georgia Department of Transportation has settled a lawsuit over a 2020 crash at an intersection in Brantley County where a stop sign was down at the time of the collision. The state will pay out $875,000 to the injured party.
On October 2, 2020, two vehicles collided on Georgia Highway 32 near Post Road. A stop sign controlling traffic at the intersection had been knocked down and, according to court documents, a “stop ahead” placed prior to the intersection had faded paint, a hole from a gunshot, and debris covering it, rendering it virtually illegible.” The lack of visibility of the signage was noted in the report from the Georgia Department of Public Safety Crash Report.
When the driver of Vehicle 1 approached the intersection, the signs could not be seen and the driver was unaware that they did not have the right-of-way. The driver continued through the intersection and collided with the driver of Vehicle 2, the plaintiff in the suit against GDOT.
Brent Savage and Greg Gilluly of Savage, Turner, Pinckney, Savage, Sprouse, and Gilluly, attorneys for the driver of Vehicle 2, said their client continues to receive medical treatment necessary as a result of the crash, which was preventable.
In a press release, the firm said “GDOT failed in its duty to ensure proper placement of stop signs. Because it was placed too close to the roadway it was frequently knocked down by large trucks turning right onto GA-32. Had it been placed in the proper location, the accident could have been prevented.”
The case was formally settled in September 2026 for $875,000. Attorneys Brent J. Savage Sr. and Greg Gilluly handled the case for the plaintiff.
This Google maps image from 2023, three years after the crash, shows stop sign placement on both sides of the road.
