According to the Georgia Department of Driver Services, just over 12,000 people were convicted of drunk driving in Georgia in 2020. While this is far less than previous years, it only takes one drunk driver to completely shatter your life after an accident.
The consequences of DUI aren’t just bad for the drunk driver, they’re bad for victims as well. However, victims have recourse to pursue insurance claims and lawsuits against drunk drivers. Our Fairburn drunk driving accident attorneys can help you make a strong case.
Drunk Driving and Negligence
Victims of drunk driving have a major advantage in lawsuits and insurance claims. Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the biggest forms of negligent driving. As long as we can prove that the other driver was drunk and caused your injuries, there should be little trouble proving your claim.
To win any personal injury case, we have to prove that someone acted negligently toward you and show that negligence caused your injuries. The police evidence from dash cams, police reports, breath tests, and blood tests are extremely helpful evidence to do this.
Also, in many jurisdictions, extreme drunk driving also opens up the possibility of punitive damages. This is extra compensation given to victims for extreme cases of negligence. It’s a punishment given by the court, and we can ask them for these in your case.
Will My Case Go to Trial?
Odds are good that an insurer will offer a fair settlement amount once they learn their policyholder was driving drunk. One of our tasks as your Fairburn drunk driving accident attorney is to make sure that value is fair for your situation.
If it isn’t, or if you feel you could get more in a trial, you can push the case into a civil trial. We can advise you of the advantages and disadvantages of a trial in your case. Trial can put your compensation at risk and will make your case much longer to finish, but you could get much more compensation.
Only about 10% of all personal injury cases end up in a trial, and if you do select this option, you likely won’t have to appear in court. Your lawyer will handle the trial for you, along with many other things about your case.
What Else Will My Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Do for Me?
In accident cases, your lawyer’s job is to advocate for compensation you’re owed from whoever hurt you and their insurer. They do this by proving your claim and calculating how much money you truly need to make up for what happened to you. They will do things like:
- Listen compassionately to your story to understand what happened
- Investigate the scene of the accident and gather evidence
- Speak with witnesses and experts to reconstruct what happened
- Calculate all economic and non-economic damages related to your case
- Handle all contact with the insurer, including negotiations
- Advise you on what to do during your case to avoid potential problems
- Answer all your questions about the process of your case
- Advocate for you in trial, if necessary
- Handle the final settlement or judgment amount to ensure you get paid
As you can see, a drunk driving accident lawyer does much more than talk with insurance companies and go to court. Your focus during this time should be on recovery from your injuries, not worrying about the intricacies of law. Let your lawyer handle those.
Isn’t Hiring a Lawyer Expensive?
Not in personal injury cases. In cases like these, lawyers work on a contingency fee system. This means that you do not have to pay anything unless you receive compensation for your case. This makes it fair for all Americans, since we all need access to legal help in situations like these.
During your consultation, we will assess your case to see if you have a strong chance of winning. In a drunk driving case, the odds are good this is so. If we decide to take your case, we will also tell you what percentage of your compensation we’ll take as our fee if you win.
If you lose your case completely, you will owe us absolutely nothing. Also, insurance companies will often award you much more when you have a lawyer by your side, even with our fee. That’s because our Fairburn drunk driving accident lawyers know how to see through their games, and we have the knowledge of how to take them to court and win a lawsuit.
Do I Need to Worry About the Criminal Trial?
Likely not. Your case will go through the civil court system, while any DUI charges will go through criminal court. If everything is handled through the insurer, you may not have to worry at all about the criminal trial.
Also, the standards for evidence in civil cases are lower than criminal trials. Should the responsible drunk driver go free, that doesn’t mean they’re off the hook for paying you compensation.
Speak With a Fairburn Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Today
You have a limited amount of time to start your drunk driving accident claim, and there’s no advantage to waiting. As soon as a doctor has diagnosed you of an injury, your next step is to speak with our drunk driving accident lawyers in Fairburn.
Your consultation is free and without obligations. To get your case started, call us at the number on this page or reach out to us via email on our contact form. For more information about drunk driving cases, take a look at our FAQ page.
