Drinking and driving doesn’t just put the wellbeing of the driver on the line—it’s a risk to the lives of everyone else on the road too. And if you were a victim in a drunk driving accident, you might wonder about your rights. Although no one can reverse the pain and suffering that can result from drunk driving accidents, you do have the legal right to recover money for your losses. And working with a Woodstock drunk driving accident lawyer can help you get the financial compensation you deserve.
Our lawyers have more than 20 years of experience assisting drunk driving victims in the Woodstock area. We know what’s needed to win a fair settlement, and we’re here to help you and your family during this difficult process. Let us offer you a FREE consultation to speak with some of the most experienced Georgia lawyers today. Call us at (404) 341-6555 or fill out the form to the right for your free consultation.
How much money can I recover if I was hit by a drunk driver?
In a DUI case, you can recover all the money a victim of a regular car accident would get, including:
- Property damage: Most accidents will involve some type of damage to your vehicle. You should be able to recover money to pay for repairs of your vehicle. In this case, the DUI offender’s insurance company may contact a repair shop to estimate the value of the damages to be repaired. Your attorney will also investigate this to make sure the estimate they calculate is fair.
- Medical costs: This includes medical bills and treatment you receive as a result of the accident, including ongoing treatment.
- Loss of income: A drunk driving accident can cause you to miss time at work. You may be able to recover money for lost wages, loss of earning capacity, and time taken off work when you’d normally be there. These types of damages, includes medical bills, are often referred to as “special damages” because they are usually easy to calculate.
- Pain and suffering: Unlike straightforward expenses like work wages and medical bills, some damages are not as easy to calculate, such as pain and suffering, emotional trauma like PTSD, and loss of enjoyment of life due to your injuries. For these types of damages, an insurance company usually uses a factoring formula that assigns your case a number between 2-5 in severity to determine expenses. They’ll also take into account whether your injuries can make a full recovery or if they’ll impact the rest of your life. Working with a DUI accident attorney can help you better understand this system and make sure you recovery the full settlement you deserve.
And in some cases, you can also recover punitive damages, which means extra money the drunk driver pays to use as restitution for the suffering they caused you.
Can I still get money if the driver isn’t convicted?
If the drunk driver is convicted for their crime, it can usually help your personal injury case. This is because the court has determined the driver was driving drunk, which helps prove the accident was their fault.
Whether the driver is convicted or not, you can still potentially win money to recover your damages.
I was a victim of a DUI hit-and-run. What are my options?
A “hit-and-run” (striking another vehicle with someone inside and then leaving the scene) is one of the most serious offenses in Georgia. When the driver drives away from the accident, they fail to fulfill their duty to report an accident. When hit-and-run is combined with a DUI, the offense is very serious.
There are a few things you’ll want to do right away if you’re a victim of a drunk driver hitting-and-running:
- Get all the information you can. If possible, try to get the driver’s license plate number before they speed away. And if you saw what they looked like, note any identifiable characteristics of the driver. Take pictures of your car’s damages and any injuries that resulted from the crash. Take statements from any witnesses who saw the collision, and ask if they have any additional information about the drunk driver. And if you’re seriously injured, get medical attention immediately.
- Call the police. Report the accident to authorities, and stay at the scene if you don’t require immediate medical help. Have police create a police report about the incident, and tell them everything you know—including that you think the driver was under the influence.
- Call your lawyer. They can help you determine the next best steps in this frustrating situation.
If someone is caught and convicted of hit-and-run with DUI, they will face criminal charges and have their license suspended. And thankfully, most drunk drivers who hit and run are identified and arrested, since their impairment makes them bad at fleeing or hiding evidence.
But if the driver is not caught or identified, it doesn’t mean you can’t sue for damages. In that case, your own insurance should cover for damages. The downside is that your injuries may be treated with additional suspicion minus the other car to prove the accident, and you may be limited in how much you can recover.
This is why having a drunk driving accident lawyer on your side can help. They can do their own investigation into the case to help you recover as much as possible.
Talk to a Woodstock Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer for Free
Don’t suffer through a drunk driving accident on your own. Our attorneys have worked with countless victims of DUI accidents, and we’re here to help you and your family make the best decisions. Don’t miss out on the financial compensation you deserve to help you stay afloat after a DUI-related accident. We’d love to offer you a FREE consultation to discuss your case. Call us at (404) 341-6555 or fill out the form to the right for your free consultation today.
