Drunk drivers continue to be a problem in Bainbridge and throughout the State of Georgia. About one in three car accident deaths in Bainbridge, GA result from someone driving under the influence.
While money can never bring back what’s lost during a fatal or serious drunk driving accident, pursuing financial recovery can ease the additional burden of costs that pile up after an accident happens. If the DUI accident wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to recovery for your medical expenses, vehicle damages, and more. As soon as you can, contact a car accident lawyer in Bainbridge who can help.
At John Foy & Associates in Bainbridge, we work solely with personal injury victims like those injured in drunk driving accidents. For the past two decades, we’ve been fighting for the rights of victims so they can get the money they need to cover their costs and move on with their lives as fully as possible.
Whether you yourself were in the accident or a loved one was injured or killed, we’re here to help. Contact us today for a FREE consultation to go over your case. You can call us at 404-400-4000, or fill out the form to the right to get started.
How Much Money Can I Recover If I Was Hit By a Drunk Driver?
Under Georgia law, personal injury victims in Bainbridge are able to recover for 100% of their costs and losses after an auto accident. These are damages that include:
- Medical costs: doctor visits, hospital stays, tests, and treatments for your DUI accident injuries
- Prescription medication costs
- Physical damages: Repair or replacement costs for damage to your vehicle
- Lost wages: time you had to miss from work because of the accident and your injuries
- Pain and suffering awards: this includes damages for mental and physical pain from the accident that aren’t as easily calculated
Also, when the accident involves a drunk driver, you’re also entitled to a type of financial recovery called punitive damages. Punitive damages are different from those above because they aren’t about compensation; they’re meant to punish the drunk driver for breaking the law and acting recklessly or carelessly. The money from punitive damages certainly helps out the victim, but the main motive is to send drunk drivers a strong message that the behavior has consequences.
If you’re the victim of a DUI accident, you can usually recover much more than other personal injury cases because of punitive damages. Because of this, drunk driving accident cases are commonly worth over $100,000. Your claim will depend on your unique situation and your damages, though, so it’s important to contact a drunk driving accident lawyer to know for sure what you can recover.
What Should I Do If the Drunk Driver Fled the Scene?
If a driver gets in an accident and then drives away, this is known as a hit-and-run accident. It’s a hopeless feeling when the other driver speeds away, but there are things you can do. If you or anyone in your vehicles has serious injuries, your first priority should be calling 911 to get medical attention. If everyone is okay enough to stay on the scene, here’s what you should do next:
- Move your vehicle to a safe location. If possible, pull off to the side of the road so you’re out of the way of oncoming traffic. Whether you can move the vehicle or not, turn on your hazard lights.
- Call local police. Tell them about the accident, including that the other driver fled the scene and that you suspect they were impaired. Make sure officers know all the details and file a police report of the accident. Insurance companies will especially look for a police report of the accident if it involved a hit-and-run.
- Gather as much information as you can. If you can do it before they speed away, take a picture of the drunk driver’s license plate and car. If they interact with you in any way before driving off, try to get a picture or video of this. Otherwise, write down everything that you remember happening before, during, and after the accident. Also, take pictures of the scene, all injuries, and vehicle damage. Talk to witnesses, if there were any, and get their contact details. Any information you can compile after the accident will help the police in finding the drunk driver. It will also help your drunk driving accident lawyer in building a strong case.
- File an insurance claim – but don’t take any money. Your lawyer can help you do this. If insurers contact you, don’t give any statements, sign any forms, or accept any amount of money until you’ve spoken with your attorney first.
Financial recovery is more difficult if the drunk driver didn’t stay at the scene, but it’s not impossible. A person who drives while impaired and leaves the scene of an accident will likely face both a DUI charge and a hit-and-run charge.
These are both serious, and the at-fault driver is liable for the injuries and damages it cost you. The sooner you can get in touch with a drunk driving accident lawyer, the sooner they can help you take the best steps to hold the driver responsible and pursue the recovery you need and deserve.
Talk to a Bainbridge Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer for Free
Drunk driving accidents are serious, and the consequences can be painful, overwhelming, and even deadly. At John Foy & Associates, we hold liable parties responsible for their actions. For more than two decades, we’ve been fighting for DUI accident victims and winning them the financial recovery necessary to heal as much as possible.
We never take the side of insurance companies, and we’re here to help with a listening ear. That starts with a completely FREE consultation to talk about what happened and your best options. For a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys, call us today at 404-400-4000, or complete the form to the right to get started.
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