Marietta Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers
We've heard it countless times: Don't drink and drive. We know how it can impair judgment, compromise vision, and cause devastating accidents. Even still, people choose to get behind the wheel when they're under the influence of alcohol. If an accident with a drunk driver hurt you or a loved one, you have the right to hold them accountable for your injuries and losses.
A Marietta drunk driving accident lawyer at our firm can represent you during this process. At Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group, we fight for the compensation our clients deserve after getting injured. When you call us for a free consultation, you can explain how your accident happened, and we can review your options for compensation.
Contact our firm today to get started.
Potential Losses You Can Recoup in a Georgia Drunk Driving Accident Case
Getting hurt in a drunk driving car accident can bring on a slew of damages, such as:
- Past and anticipated medical expenses: If you required emergency transportation, imaging scans, pain medications, assistive devices, surgeries, physical therapy, hospitalizations, and ongoing care
- Lost income: If you had to take time off work to heal and couldn’t earn tips, a salary, commissions, benefits, hourly pay, business opportunities, bonuses, and promotions
- Future loss of earning capacity: If you can’t return to your previous job or need to take one that doesn’t pay as much
- Property damage expenses: If your car sustained damage or needs replacing
- Scarring and disfigurement: If your injuries or the treatment you receive has compromised your mobility or changed your appearance
- Pain and suffering: If your injuries cause you discomfort or inconvenience
- Mental anguish: If you have endured mental health struggles, such as insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or anxiety from the crash
- Other out-of-pocket expenses: These losses include transportation arrangements and in-home nursing
Based on your situation, you may pursue other losses than those listed above.
We Advocate for Wrongful Death Claimants in Marietta, GA
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 10,000 Americans yearly lose their lives to drunk driving accident-related injuries. If your loved one died in such an incident, you could file a wrongful death action against the other party.
Damages you can seek include:
- Loss of companionship or care
- Loss of household services
- Funeral and burial expenses
- End-of-life medical bills, such as life support
- Loss of income and benefits
Whether you’re filing a personal injury or wrongful death case, compensation can help you and your family get back on your feet. We’re committed to seeking everything you deserve to ensure your financial stability and peace of mind.
Why Hire a Marietta Drunk Driving Accident Attorney at Our Firm?
Working through the legal system while trying to recover from your car accident injuries can prove challenging. Instead of taking on the stress and responsibility of handling a case, leave it to us.
When you enlist our help, we can:
Gather and Organize Evidence
Evidence makes your case, and forms of evidence common in drunk driving accident cases include:
- The toxicology report
- Traffic citations
- The accident report
- Photos of the crash and your injuries
- Available video
- Statements from witnesses
- Your medical records
- Omissions made at the accident scene by the other party
Our firm helps you take civil action against the other party, independent of a criminal pursuit. Even though a guilty verdict doesn't equal compensation, we can use it as evidence to prove the other party's negligence.
Establish the Other Party Acted Negligently
After we compile enough evidence, we can apply it to the negligence standard.
You must satisfy each of these elements if you plan to recover compensation:
- Duty of care: The other party had a duty of care to act prudently and cautiously on the road. That includes driving sober.
- Breach of duty: The other party had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 percent (or higher) and got behind the wheel.
- Causation: The other party caused the accident and your injuries.
- Damages: The accident and injuries led to your physical, emotional, and monetary losses.
In many cases, the driver holds liability for what happened. However, other parties can share responsibility, as well. For example, Georgia operates under the dram shop law.
This law holds accountable anyone who "willfully, knowingly, and unlawfully" serves alcohol to a person younger than 21 or knowingly serves alcohol to someone who's obviously intoxicated. In addition, they can't serve alcohol if they know the intoxicated person or minor is going to drive.
Your attorney can identify each party at fault and pursue them for the appropriate amount of compensation.
Take On Communications With Other Involved Parties
We encourage you to leave all case-related communications to your attorney. Communications are burdensome for an injured person to manage——especially after a crash. This task is a part of our attorneys’ routine, so let us speak to the involved parties on your behalf.
Also, insurance companies strive to safeguard their bottom lines and may twist your words to fit their narrative. If the insurer calls you a few days after your crash to get a statement, decline and direct it to your lawyer. We can protect you from the insurers engaging in bad faith and attempting to offer you a low settlement.
Enter Settlement Negotiations
Once we evaluate the total extent of your damages, we demand a settlement from the insurance company. Generally speaking, after receiving an unfair offer, we enter into negotiations. We can negotiate agreements in most cases. However, if the adjuster isn't willing to provide you with a fair amount, we have no issue taking your case to trial and continuing the fight before a jury.
The Importance of Retaining Prompt Legal Representation After a Drunk Driving Crash
Insurance companies enforce different deadlines for filing a claim. Do not confuse this timeline with the statute of limitations Georgia imposes on lawsuits. Georgia law generally allows two years for claimants to take action. Holding off on filing could hurt you in the long run. The state will bar you from recovering compensation if you miss the deadline.
On top of getting your lawsuit in on time, starting your case soon helps with evidence-gathering. For example, witnesses who saw the other party intoxicated and get in their car may validate your claim. Waiting to contact them could risk them forgetting what happened or losing touch. Getting their statements right away helps ensure the accuracy and objectivity of the events that led to the crash.
If you contact our law firm quickly, we can determine how long you have to file and collect evidence.
Don’t Worry About Affording a Drunk Driving Car Accident Attorney with Our Firm
Paying for a rental car, footing the bill for your medical care, losing hours at work—the list of your current financial struggles following a drunk driving accident never seems to end.
Paying for a personal injury lawyer may be the farthest thing from your mind right now. However, your bank account doesn't have to sustain a dent.
At Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group, our firm works based on a contingency fee, so our payment is contingent on the success of your case.
That means we don’t charge our clients any fees:
- Out of pocket
- For retainers
- By the hour
- Upfront
Only if and when we secure compensation do we take payment. This fee structure lets us immediately start on your case without hurting your current financial state.
What Injured Claimants Should Know About Drunk Driving Accidents
It's a national law to refrain from drinking and driving. Alcohol consumption can impair our perception and sensation, and it can only worsen as we drink.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), BAC levels are as follows:
- 0.02 percent: Loss of judgment, impaired visible functions, and difficulty multi-tasking
- 0.05 percent: Lost inhibitions, poor coordination, difficulty steering, and delayed reactions
- 0.08 percent: Poor speech and perception, reaction time, hearing, lack of self-control, memory, concentration, reduced control of speed, and delayed responses to emergencies
- 0.10 percent: Slowed thinking, difficult time staying in the correct lane, and braking properly
- 0.15 percent: Vomiting, poor muscle control, and poor impairment of controlling and operating the vehicle
Driving with alcohol in your system could lead to a rear-end, head-on, side-impact, or rollover collision.
Ways You Can Protect Yourself and Your Claim After a Drunk Driving Accident
The accident is over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything now to protect yourself and your right to recover damages. Our accident team in Marietta suggests:
Seeking Medical Care Quickly
Common injuries drunk driving accident victims suffer may include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Whiplash and other soft-tissue injuries
- Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
- Burns
- Fractures or broken bones
- Chest trauma
- Abdominal injuries
These injuries and others need prompt medical attention. If you put it off, that gives the injuries more time to worsen. Then, making a full recovery could take longer or may not be possible.
Getting immediate medical care affects the value of your claim. Seeing your doctor the day of or after the accident establishes that it caused your injuries.
Waiting any longer leaves room for the insurance adjuster to claim that something else caused your condition. It could blame you for letting your condition worsen. That may prompt it to devalue your damages, leaving the accident’s financial burden to you.
Continuing Treatment Until the Doctor Releases You
Once your doctor diagnoses you, they may create a treatment plan. Adhere to it.
That means:
- Going to the other physicians they refer you to
- Attending all follow-up appointments
- Taking medications
- Practicing physical therapy exercises at home
If you stray from the prescribed regimen, not only could that slow down your recovery, but it may also hurt your claim. If the insurer finds out, it could refuse to pay you fair compensation since you didn’t follow through with your treatment and may have worsened your injuries.
Refraining from Posting About Your Accident on Social Media
It's understandable to want to share your drinking and driving accident with your friends and family online. However, we suggest you refrain from doing so until we resolve your case. As we said, the insurance company does what it can to protect its bottom line. That may include looking at your social media profiles and posts and manipulating what you wrote to its benefit.
Let's say you posted, "Hi, everyone. I was just in a drunk driving crash. I got a few bumps and bruises, but I'm okay. Stay safe on the roads." Since you said you were okay and had minor injuries, the adjuster may believe you don't need as much compensation as you demanded. If you later found out your injuries were more severe, you cannot secure more compensation.
Considering Your Legal Options
Don't manage the burdens of an injury case alone. Our team advocates for victims of negligence from all walks of life. If you're hesitant about securing legal help, our team offers free case reviews where you can ask questions. We're eager to answer them.
Start Working With Our Marietta Drunk Driving Lawyers Today
There is no excuse for getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. If you or a loved one got hurt in a drunk driving accident in Marietta, Georgia, our lawyers can seek financial recovery for you. We have the resources and knowledge to obtain a fair outcome. For example, our attorneys secured a $50,000 settlement for a client hurt in a hit-and-run/DUI accident.
We cannot promise an exact amount for your case, but we strive for what you need to rebuild your life. Contact us at the Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group at (404) 609-1724 for a free case review today.
Client Testimonial
"Very professional and caring team. Indya Scott is a great case manager, courteous, great communicator and always updated me regarding my case. She provided knowledge throughout the process. I appreciate everything. Thank you Indya!" -Bridgette R. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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