Decatur Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Decatur Drunk Driving Accident Attorney

It is illegal for any driver to operate a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, yet driving under the influence (DUI) continues to be one of the leading causes of vehicle accidents throughout the United States. A Decatur car accident lawyer is the ideal resource to consult if you have experienced any such incident. They can help you determine the optimal path to proving liability for the damages you suffered.

When a DUI accident happens, the driver not only faces criminal charges but also civil liability if they caused any harm to others. A Decatur drunk driver accident lawyer can help you recover if you’ve experienced this kind of accident.

A Decatur personal injury lawyer can help you make clearer sense of your legal options, assist you in developing a strategy aimed at securing maximum compensation for your damages, and explain how criminal proceedings against a drunk driver could potentially influence your recovery.

Legal Counsel for Drunk Driving Accident Claims in Decatur, GA

The attorneys at Merritt & Merritt have a long history of successful civil claims on behalf of our clients in Decatur and surrounding communities. We help each client address their unique concerns in their personal injury claims, and we know how damaging any drunk driving accident can be for a victim and their family. We also know how to help our clients recover fair compensation for the damages they suffer from such incidents.

When you choose our team to represent you in a drunk driver accident claim in Decatur, you can trust us to help gather the proof you need to firmly establish liability for your damages. The drunk driver who hit you will face criminal prosecution from the state, and we can help you understand how their criminal court proceedings could impact your recovery. You may be entitled to more compensation than you might initially expect.

Building Your Drunk Driver Accident Claim in Decatur

Georgia operates on the fault system for resolving motor vehicle accidents. This means that if you were recently injured in an accident, you must prove how the accident happened before you will be able to recover any compensation for your damages.

You must identify the at-fault driver and then prove the full extent of the damages they caused. Fortunately, this aspect of your claim will be relatively straightforward because the defendant has broken the law.

Police will arrest a drunk driver at the scene of the accident they caused, and the criminal case from the state will unfold separately from your civil court proceedings. However, it is possible for their criminal case to impact your civil claim in various ways, including potentially enhancing your recovery by a substantial margin. While the criminal case aims to punish the defendant for breaking the law, your civil suit seeks compensation for your losses.

Your Decatur drunk driver accident lawyer can help build your claim and navigate your initial recovery efforts through the auto insurance claim filing process. Every driver in Decatur, GA, is required to have appropriate coverage, but there is no guarantee that the at-fault driver’s insurance will fully compensate you for your damages. There is also a chance that they will not have insurance at all. In this case, a personal injury claim is your only option for recovery.

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Filing a Personal Injury Suit for a Drunk Driver Accident in Decatur

Auto insurance may offer some initial compensation for your damages, but you are unlikely to fully recover all your claimable losses through auto insurance alone. Drunk driving can lead to devastating crashes that cause all manner of catastrophic injuries, including brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other serious harm. You need a Decatur drunk driver accident lawyer to help assess the full scope of the damage the defendant caused.

Under the state’s personal injury laws, the plaintiff in a personal injury suit has the right to claim compensation for any economic losses they sustained from the defendant’s actions. Some of these may be covered at least partially by the defendant’s auto insurance, and any remaining damages must be cited in the plaintiff’s civil suit.

Your claimable economic damages may include:

• Property damage, such as any vehicle repair costs not covered by the defendant’s auto insurance policy.
• Medical expenses: The defendant is liable for all the medical care you require to reach maximum medical improvement from your injuries. This includes both immediate and future medical expenses related to all the injuries you suffered in the accident. Your Decatur drunk driver accident lawyer can help ensure all your medical expenses are appropriately addressed in your claim.
• Lost income: When the plaintiff in any personal injury claim is unable to work and earn income due to the defendant’s actions, they become liable for the income the plaintiff is unable to earn during this time. This applies to lost future earnings as well if the plaintiff has been permanently disabled by their injuries.

Along with these economic damages, you will also have the right to claim pain and suffering compensation from the defendant. Georgia law does not limit the amount you can claim, but the amount sought from the defendant should reasonably reflect the extent and severity of the harm they inflicted.

The average person may find it hard to determine a fair amount of financial compensation that reflects intangible losses like physical pain and emotional distress. Your Decatur drunk driver accident lawyer would help maximize this aspect of your case award by determining a figure that reflects the severity of your condition after the accident, especially if you suffered any long-term or permanent harm.

Resolving Your Drunk Driver Accident Claim in Decatur

The drunk driver who caused your accident will be criminally prosecuted by the state, and you could be awarded punitive damages and/or restitution as an element of their punishment.

Additionally, the standard penalties of fines, driver’s license suspension, and incarceration are likely to be increased when a defendant has inflicted great bodily harm with their actions. The state will handle the criminal case against the defendant while your attorney helps you recover.

Merritt & Merritt Law Firm has the experience needed to handle the toughest personal injury claims in Decatur, including those arising from acts of intentional misconduct. You have a limited time in which to file any type of personal injury case, and the sooner you connect with an attorney you can trust, the more likely you are to succeed with your case.

Decatur Drunk Driving Accident FAQs

Q: What Are the Penalties for Drunk Driving in Decatur?

A: The penalties for drunk driving in Decatur vary from case to case, and they will automatically increase beyond the standard minimums whenever a drunk driver has caused a serious accident resulting in injury or death or if they have a record of past drunk driving convictions. Standard penalties typically include fines, driver’s license suspension, and jail time, and the judge may order a defendant to complete substance abuse treatment and driver safety courses.

Q: What Are the Most Common Injuries From Drunk Driving Accidents?

A: Drunk driving accidents have a high chance of resulting in serious injuries. Some of the most commonly reported injuries from drunk driving accidents in Decatur include broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, internal organ damage, and facial and dental injuries. An at-fault driver could face an automatic increase in their penalties in criminal court if they caused a severe injury because they were driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Q: How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Suit for a Drunk Driving Accident?

A: The amount of time you have to file a personal injury suit for a drunk driving accident is dictated by the statute of limitations. This time limit begins on the date the accident occurred, and if the injured plaintiff does not file their claim within the statute of limitations, they will lose their ability to recover compensation from the defendant. The standard statute of limitations for most personal injury claims in the state is two years.

Q: Why Should I Hire a Decatur Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer?

A: You should hire a Decatur drunk driving accident lawyer because you will be significantly more likely to succeed with your recovery efforts with their assistance. Drunk driving is one of the most common causes of accidents in Decatur, and it is important to have legal counsel on your side capable of addressing the unique legal challenges you might face in the aftermath of this type of accident.

Q: How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Decatur Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer?

A: The cost to hire a Decatur drunk driving accident lawyer will be a percentage of your case’s total value if you choose the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm to represent you. We take these cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning we only take a percentage of the total compensation we recover for our client as our fee, and only if we win their case. There is no fee if we are unable to secure compensation for you.

You have a relatively short time in which to pursue your recovery after a drunk driving accident in Decatur. The team at the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm is ready to assist you with all aspects of your upcoming legal proceedings.  Contact us today and schedule your free consultation with an experienced Decatur drunk driver accident lawyer.