Driving under the influence is a serious crime and can result in severe auto accidents, injuries, and even death.
While a drunk driver will likely receive criminal charges for driving under the influence, this conviction will not provide the victims with any compensation for their injuries, lost wages, or emotional distress.
Georgia law gives victims of drunk driving accidents the right to file a wrongful death or personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation. However, according to Georgia’s statute of limitations, victims must file these suits within two years of the accident date.
If you have suffered from a drunk driving accident in Georgia, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and economic damages. Here is what you need to know about your rights as an accident victim. If you’d like to learn more about your case specifically, contact our personal injury attorneys today to schedule your free consultation.
Drunk Driver Accident Compensation
Unlike traditional car accidents, drunk driving accidents involve criminal activity and intentional negligence.
When an intoxicated person gets behind the wheel, they make a conscious decision to drive without the proper level of awareness and attention necessary to avoid crashes. As a result, victims of these accidents have the right to seek punitive damages of up to $250,000.
Because Georgia law requires motorists to carry at least $25,000 of accident insurance coverage, victims may be able to receive this full amount as well.
On top of punitive damages, victims may also be entitled to compensatory damages to make up for the pain and suffering they have experienced from the accident. This compensation can cover damages such as:
- Economic damages, including medical bills, damage to their vehicle, and lost wages
- Emotional damages, including pain from injuries and mental and emotional distress
If the drunk driving accident led to a fatality, victims might also seek compensation for funeral expenses.
If you have suffered from a drunk driving accident and would like to begin a personal injury lawsuit, the best course of action is to contact a competent car accident lawyer.
What You Should Do Drunk Driver
Victims of drunk driving accidents often face the temptation to put the incident behind them and forget that it happened. However, receiving compensation through a personal injury lawsuit could be the best way to move forward from this incident.
After your drunk driving accident, you should collect as much information as you can about the crash to serve as evidence in your case. Following these steps can help ease the process of filing a personal injury lawsuit and receiving compensation:
- Undergo medical treatment from a physician: If you or any passengers have suffered injuries from a drunk driving accident, your first step should be to seek medical treatment. Your physician will document every aspect of your care, and you can use this documentation as evidence during a personal injury lawsuit.
- Request a crash report from the police department: Your next step should be to obtain a copy of the crash report from the police station— this document will also serve as evidence in your lawsuit.
- Review the report and determine its accuracy: The crash report will contain information like the time and date of the accident, your condition, and the intoxicated driver’s condition. Making sure that this information is 100% accurate will assist your case.
- Request any changes: If you notice any discrepancies on your crash report, you should request that the police department make appropriate changes to reflect the facts of the case.
- Contact a professional car accident attorney: A skilled accident attorney team will review your case, gather any necessary information and documentation, and help you prove negligence. Attempting to navigate a personal injury lawsuit alone could lead you to lose out on hundreds of thousands of dollars—our personal injury attorneys can help.
Contact Our Skilled Car Accident Lawyers
As a Georgia resident, you have a right to seek compensation after falling victim to a drunk driving accident. However, many accident victims neglect to file lawsuits in an appropriate time frame or feel intimidated at the thought of navigating the legal system, losing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process.
The best way to secure fair compensation for your suffering is to contact a personal injury attorney for assistance. Our auto accident attorneys know how traumatic a drunk driving accident can be. That’s why we do everything we can to make the lawsuit process as straightforward and painless as possible.
Our team will help you collect all relevant documentation, communicate with the involved parties, and present your case accurately and convincingly in court. We will work hard on your behalf throughout the entire process and use our expertise and skills to represent you well.
If you were involved in a drunk driving accident, we might be able to help. Contact Greathouse Trial Law, LLC at 678-310-2827 today to schedule a free consultation.
Disclaimer: The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only, and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information contained in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.
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