Drunk driving accidents in Savannah cause devastating injuries, property damage, and wrongful deaths every year. If you were injured by an intoxicated driver, Georgia law allows you to pursue compensation not only for your medical bills and lost wages but also for punitive damages designed to punish reckless behavior. You have the right to hold drunk drivers accountable for the harm they caused.
Unlike typical car accident cases, drunk driving claims involve unique legal considerations including criminal proceedings, dram shop liability, and the potential for enhanced damages. These cases require an attorney who understands how to leverage evidence from police reports, toxicology results, and traffic camera footage to build the strongest possible claim. The sooner you act, the better your chances of preserving critical evidence and securing a fair settlement.
Wetherington Law Firm represents victims of drunk driving accidents throughout Savannah and the surrounding areas. Our attorneys investigate every aspect of your case, negotiate aggressively with insurance companies, and take cases to trial when necessary to protect your rights. If you or a loved one was injured by a drunk driver, contact us today at (404) 888-4444 for a free consultation or complete our online form to discuss your claim.
Understanding Drunk Driving Accidents in Savannah
Drunk driving accidents occur when a driver operates a vehicle while impaired by alcohol, resulting in collisions that cause injury, death, or property damage. In Georgia, a driver is considered legally intoxicated if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reaches 0.08% or higher under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391, though commercial drivers face a lower threshold of 0.04% and drivers under 21 face a zero-tolerance limit. Even drivers below the legal limit can still be charged with DUI if their ability to drive safely is impaired.
These accidents are entirely preventable yet remain a leading cause of serious injuries and fatalities on Savannah roads. Impaired drivers experience delayed reaction times, poor judgment, reduced coordination, and diminished ability to assess distances and speeds, making them a danger to everyone sharing the road. The consequences often include catastrophic injuries that change victims’ lives forever, leaving them with mounting medical bills, lost income, and permanent disabilities.
How Alcohol Impairs Driving Ability
Alcohol affects the central nervous system, slowing brain function and impairing the cognitive and physical skills needed to operate a vehicle safely. At a BAC of 0.08%, drivers experience reduced concentration, impaired perception, and difficulty processing information, but dangerous impairment begins long before reaching the legal limit. Even at 0.02% BAC, drivers show declines in visual function and the ability to perform two tasks simultaneously.
As BAC increases, impairment worsens dramatically. At 0.10% BAC, drivers struggle to maintain lane position and brake appropriately, while at 0.15% BAC, substantial impairments affect vehicle control, attention to driving, and visual and auditory information processing. These impairments explain why drunk driving accidents often involve severe injuries or fatalities that could have been avoided if the driver had made responsible choices.
Common Causes of Drunk Driving Accidents in Savannah
Drunk driving accidents stem from multiple factors beyond simply having too much to drink. Bar overservice is a common cause, where establishments continue serving visibly intoxicated patrons or fail to check identification properly, creating dangerous situations when those patrons leave and drive. Social host liability can also arise when individuals host parties and allow intoxicated guests to drive away, particularly when minors are involved.
Other contributing factors include driving after consuming alcohol at festivals, sporting events, or downtown nightlife areas where walking alternatives exist but drivers choose to get behind the wheel anyway. Some drunk drivers have prior DUI convictions yet continue to drink and drive, while others misjudge their level of impairment or believe they can drive safely after drinking. Holiday weekends and late-night hours see increased drunk driving incidents as people leave parties, bars, and restaurants without designated drivers.
Types of Injuries Caused by Drunk Driving Accidents
Drunk driving accidents frequently result in severe injuries because impaired drivers often speed, run red lights, or collide head-on with other vehicles at high velocity. These high-impact crashes generate tremendous force that overwhelms vehicle safety features and causes catastrophic harm to occupants. The following injuries represent the most common and serious consequences victims face after being hit by a drunk driver.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries occur when the head strikes an object during a collision or when the brain moves violently inside the skull. Mild TBIs like concussions can cause headaches, confusion, and memory problems that resolve over weeks or months, but severe TBIs result in permanent cognitive impairment, personality changes, and physical disabilities. Victims may require lifelong medical care, rehabilitation therapy, and assistance with daily activities.
The full extent of a brain injury may not become apparent for months after the accident as symptoms develop or worsen over time. Insurance companies often try to minimize brain injury claims by arguing symptoms are unrelated to the accident, making it essential to work with medical experts who can document the connection between the crash and your condition.
Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
Spinal cord injuries damage the nerves that transmit signals between the brain and the rest of the body, resulting in partial or complete paralysis below the injury site. Paraplegia affects the lower body and legs, while quadriplegia affects all four limbs and the torso, requiring extensive medical intervention and permanent lifestyle adjustments. These injuries often occur in drunk driving accidents involving high speeds or rollovers where the spine compresses or fractures.
Living with paralysis requires modifications to homes and vehicles, ongoing medical treatment, assistive devices, and personal care assistance. The lifetime costs can reach millions of dollars, making it critical to pursue full compensation that accounts for future needs rather than accepting a quick settlement that only covers immediate expenses.
Broken Bones and Fractures
The impact of a drunk driving collision can break ribs, arms, legs, hips, wrists, ankles, and facial bones. Simple fractures may heal within weeks with casting and rest, but compound fractures where bone pierces the skin or comminuted fractures where bone shatters into multiple pieces require surgery, hardware installation, and lengthy recovery periods. Some fractures never heal properly, causing chronic pain, limited mobility, and increased arthritis risk.
Broken bones in the pelvis, femur, or spine are particularly serious and may require months of physical therapy before victims can walk or return to work. These injuries disrupt every aspect of life from employment to family responsibilities, justifying significant compensation for both economic losses and reduced quality of life.
Internal Organ Damage
Blunt force trauma from a drunk driving accident can rupture or lacerate internal organs including the spleen, liver, kidneys, lungs, and intestines. Internal bleeding may not produce obvious external symptoms initially but can quickly become life-threatening without emergency surgery. Some victims suffer long-term complications including organ failure, infections, or the need for organ removal that permanently affects their health.
Internal injuries require immediate medical attention and often involve extended hospital stays, multiple surgeries, and months of recovery. The medical expenses alone can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars, not counting lost wages and future care needs.
Burns and Lacerations
When drunk driving accidents cause fires or involve broken glass and twisted metal, victims suffer severe burns and deep lacerations. Third-degree burns destroy all layers of skin and underlying tissue, requiring skin grafts, reconstructive surgery, and pain management that continues for years. Facial lacerations may cause permanent scarring and disfigurement that affects self-esteem, employment prospects, and personal relationships.
These visible injuries often carry psychological consequences alongside physical pain. Victims may develop anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder that requires counseling and medication as part of their overall treatment plan.
Georgia Laws Governing Drunk Driving Accidents
Georgia maintains strict laws designed to deter drunk driving and protect innocent motorists from impaired drivers. Understanding these laws helps victims recognize their legal rights and the full scope of remedies available after being injured by a drunk driver. The following statutes form the foundation of drunk driving accident claims in Savannah and throughout Georgia.
DUI Laws and Criminal Penalties
O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391 prohibits driving under the influence of alcohol to the extent it is less safe for the person to drive or with a BAC of 0.08% or higher. First-time offenders face fines up to one thousand dollars, jail time ranging from 10 days to 12 months, community service, DUI school, and license suspension. Repeat offenders receive enhanced penalties including longer jail sentences, higher fines, mandatory ignition interlock devices, and extended license suspensions.
Criminal penalties serve important public safety goals but do nothing to compensate victims for their injuries and losses. Even if the drunk driver receives criminal punishment, you must file a separate civil claim to recover damages for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other harm caused by the accident.
Civil Liability for Drunk Drivers
Georgia law allows drunk driving accident victims to pursue compensation through personal injury lawsuits based on negligence. You must prove the driver owed you a duty of care, breached that duty by driving while intoxicated, and directly caused your injuries through that breach. Because drunk driving is inherently negligent and often reckless, these cases typically establish liability more easily than standard car accident claims.
Drunk drivers may be held liable for all economic damages including medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and future care costs. They also owe non-economic damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent disabilities that affect your daily activities and relationships.
Punitive Damages in Drunk Driving Cases
Unlike most car accident claims, drunk driving cases allow victims to seek punitive damages under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1 when the defendant’s actions showed willful misconduct, malice, fraud, wantonness, oppression, or conscious indifference to consequences. Drunk driving typically meets this standard because choosing to drive while intoxicated demonstrates reckless disregard for the safety of others. Punitive damages punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct rather than simply compensating the victim.
Georgia caps punitive damages at $250,000 in most cases, though exceptions apply when the defendant acted with specific intent to harm or was under the influence of alcohol or drugs with a BAC of 0.08% or higher. These enhanced damages significantly increase the value of drunk driving accident claims compared to typical negligence cases.
Dram Shop Liability
Georgia’s dram shop law under O.C.G.A. § 51-1-40 allows victims to hold alcohol vendors liable when they sell or furnish alcohol to someone who is noticeably intoxicated and that person subsequently causes injury through drunk driving. To establish dram shop liability, you must prove the establishment knew or should have known the patron was intoxicated based on visible signs like slurred speech, unsteady walking, or aggressive behavior, and that they served alcohol anyway.
Successful dram shop claims provide an additional source of compensation beyond the drunk driver’s insurance policy. Bars, restaurants, and clubs typically carry substantial liability insurance, making them valuable defendants when the drunk driver lacks adequate coverage to fully compensate your injuries.
Compensation Available in Drunk Driving Accident Claims
Victims of drunk driving accidents in Savannah can recover multiple categories of damages designed to make them whole after their injuries. The compensation you receive depends on the severity of your injuries, the impact on your life, and the availability of insurance coverage. Understanding what damages you can claim helps you evaluate settlement offers and ensures you pursue full compensation rather than accepting less than your case is worth.
Economic Damages
Economic damages compensate victims for measurable financial losses resulting from the accident. Medical expenses form the largest component and include emergency room treatment, hospitalization, surgery, diagnostic testing, prescription medications, physical therapy, and future medical care projected over your lifetime. You can also recover lost wages for time away from work during recovery, including sick leave, vacation days, and unpaid time off.
Property damage covers vehicle repair or replacement costs, personal items destroyed in the crash, and other tangible losses. If your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous occupation, you may claim lost earning capacity for the difference between what you could have earned and what you can earn now with your limitations.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages address intangible losses that money cannot fully restore but deserve compensation nonetheless. Pain and suffering encompasses physical discomfort, chronic pain, and the daily struggle of living with injuries that may never completely heal. Emotional distress includes anxiety, depression, fear, and mental anguish caused by the trauma of the accident and its aftermath.
Loss of enjoyment of life compensates you for activities, hobbies, and experiences you can no longer participate in due to permanent injuries or disabilities. Disfigurement and scarring damages recognize the psychological impact of visible injuries that affect your appearance and self-confidence. These damages vary significantly based on injury severity and how they affect your specific circumstances.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages serve as punishment for the drunk driver’s reckless conduct and send a message that driving while intoxicated carries serious consequences. Georgia courts award punitive damages when clear and convincing evidence shows the defendant acted with willful misconduct, malice, or conscious indifference to the safety of others. Drunk driving typically satisfies this standard because getting behind the wheel while intoxicated demonstrates a deliberate choice to endanger others.
The amount of punitive damages depends on the egregiousness of the conduct, the defendant’s financial resources, and the need for deterrence. While O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1 generally caps punitive damages at $250,000, exceptions exist in cases involving alcohol impairment, potentially allowing higher awards.
Wrongful Death Damages
When drunk driving accidents result in death, surviving family members can file wrongful death claims under O.C.G.A. § 51-4-2 to recover the full value of the life of the deceased. This includes the economic value of future earnings the deceased would have contributed to the family, plus the intangible value of the deceased’s life including companionship, society, and the emotional relationship with family members.
Funeral and burial expenses, medical bills incurred before death, and the pain and suffering the deceased experienced before passing away may be recovered through an estate claim. Spouses, children, or parents typically bring wrongful death claims, with priority given to the surviving spouse or children.
The Legal Process for Drunk Driving Accident Claims
Pursuing compensation after a drunk driving accident involves several stages from initial investigation through settlement or trial. Understanding this process helps you prepare for what lies ahead and work effectively with your attorney. Each stage serves a specific purpose in building your case and maximizing your recovery.
Initial Investigation and Evidence Collection
Your attorney begins by gathering all available evidence documenting the accident and your injuries. This includes obtaining the police report which typically contains the responding officer’s observations, field sobriety test results, BAC measurements, witness statements, and the officer’s assessment of fault. Medical records from emergency room treatment, hospitalization, and follow-up appointments establish the nature and extent of your injuries.
Photographic evidence from the accident scene, vehicle damage documentation, surveillance camera footage, and dashboard camera recordings help reconstruct how the collision occurred. Your attorney may also interview witnesses, consult accident reconstruction experts, and obtain the drunk driver’s criminal court records if charges were filed.
Demand Letter and Insurance Negotiations
Once your medical condition stabilizes or your attorney has sufficient documentation of your losses, they prepare a demand letter presenting your claim to the at-fault driver’s insurance company. The demand letter outlines how the accident occurred, details your injuries and treatment, calculates your economic and non-economic damages, and requests a specific settlement amount. This letter formally begins the negotiation process.
Insurance adjusters typically respond with a lower counteroffer, starting a back-and-forth negotiation where each side presents arguments and evidence supporting their valuation of the claim. Your attorney handles all communications with the insurance company, protecting you from tactics designed to minimize your compensation or get you to make statements that hurt your case.
Filing a Lawsuit
If negotiations fail to produce a fair settlement offer, your attorney files a personal injury lawsuit in the appropriate Georgia court. The complaint formally alleges the drunk driver’s negligence, describes your injuries, and demands compensation for your damages. Georgia’s statute of limitations under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 generally requires filing within two years from the accident date, making timely action critical.
Filing a lawsuit does not mean your case will definitely go to trial. Many cases settle after the lawsuit is filed once the defendant and their insurer recognize you are serious about pursuing full compensation. However, being prepared to take your case to trial strengthens your negotiating position and shows you will not accept an inadequate offer.
Discovery and Pre-Trial Proceedings
After filing the lawsuit, both sides exchange information through the discovery process. Written interrogatories require each party to answer questions under oath, requests for production demand relevant documents and records, and depositions allow attorneys to question parties and witnesses in person with testimony recorded by a court reporter. This process reveals the strengths and weaknesses of each side’s case.
Your attorney may retain expert witnesses including medical professionals who explain your injuries and prognosis, economists who calculate lost earning capacity, accident reconstructionists who demonstrate how the crash occurred, and life care planners who project future medical needs. The defendant’s attorney conducts similar preparation, and both sides file pre-trial motions addressing legal issues before trial.
Settlement or Trial
Most drunk driving accident cases settle before reaching trial, often during mediation where a neutral third party helps both sides reach an agreement. Settlement provides faster compensation and eliminates the uncertainty of a jury verdict, but your attorney only recommends settlement if the offer fairly compensates you for all your damages.
If settlement is not possible, your case proceeds to trial where a jury hears evidence from both sides, receives instructions on applicable law from the judge, and deliberates to reach a verdict. Your attorney presents evidence of the drunk driver’s negligence, the severity of your injuries, and the full extent of your damages to persuade the jury to award fair compensation including potential punitive damages.
Why You Need a Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer
Drunk driving accident cases involve complex legal issues, difficult negotiations with insurance companies, and the need for thorough investigation and expert testimony. Attempting to handle your claim without experienced legal representation puts you at a significant disadvantage against insurance adjusters trained to minimize payouts. A skilled Savannah drunk driving accident lawyer protects your rights and maximizes your compensation.
Knowledge of Georgia Drunk Driving Laws
Georgia’s laws governing drunk driving accidents, punitive damages, dram shop liability, and insurance requirements create opportunities for enhanced recovery that many victims do not realize exist. An experienced attorney knows how to apply these laws to your specific situation, identify all potential sources of compensation, and build a compelling legal argument that justifies maximum damages. They stay current on recent court decisions and statutory changes that affect how drunk driving cases are handled.
Without legal expertise, you risk overlooking important aspects of your claim such as the ability to pursue punitive damages, hold bars or restaurants liable under dram shop law, or claim future damages for long-term injuries. Insurance companies exploit this knowledge gap by making offers that sound reasonable but fall far short of what your case is actually worth.
Investigation and Evidence Preservation
Critical evidence in drunk driving cases can disappear quickly if not preserved properly. Surveillance footage may be overwritten, witnesses’ memories fade, physical evidence at the accident scene gets cleaned up, and the drunk driver’s vehicle may be repaired or sold. Your attorney takes immediate action to preserve evidence through spoliation letters, subpoenas, and independent investigation before it is lost forever.
Professional accident reconstruction, toxicology analysis, and medical expert opinions require specialized knowledge and professional relationships that attorneys develop over years of practice. These experts provide testimony that strengthens your case by explaining complex issues to juries in understandable terms and countering defense arguments that attempt to minimize your injuries or shift blame.
Dealing with Insurance Companies
Insurance adjusters use various tactics to reduce claim payouts including delaying responses, disputing injury causation, claiming you share fault, and making quick lowball offers before you understand the full extent of your injuries. They may also request unnecessary medical authorizations hoping to find pre-existing conditions they can blame for your current problems, or pressure you to give recorded statements without legal counsel present.
Your attorney handles all communication with insurance companies, preventing you from making statements that could hurt your case and ensuring your rights are protected throughout the process. They know how to counter adjuster tactics, document your damages thoroughly, and negotiate effectively to secure fair compensation.
Maximizing Your Compensation
Determining the true value of a drunk driving accident claim requires careful calculation of current medical expenses, future medical needs, lost earning capacity, and non-economic damages that fairly reflect your pain and suffering. Attorneys work with economists, life care planners, and vocational rehabilitation experts to project lifetime costs and present compelling evidence supporting your damage claims.
The availability of punitive damages in drunk driving cases significantly increases potential compensation, but successfully obtaining these damages requires meeting a higher burden of proof and presenting evidence of the defendant’s reckless conduct. Your attorney knows how to build a punitive damages case that maximizes your recovery beyond what standard negligence claims allow.
How to Choose the Right Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer
Selecting the right attorney significantly impacts both the outcome of your case and your experience throughout the legal process. Not all personal injury lawyers have equal experience with drunk driving accident claims or the resources necessary to take on complex cases involving serious injuries. The following factors help you identify an attorney capable of handling your case effectively.
Experience with Drunk Driving Cases
Look for attorneys who regularly handle drunk driving accident claims and understand the unique legal issues these cases involve including punitive damages, dram shop liability, and interaction between criminal and civil proceedings. Ask how many drunk driving cases they have handled, what results they achieved, and whether they have experience with cases similar to yours in terms of injury severity and complexity.
Attorneys who focus their practice on personal injury rather than practicing in multiple areas typically have deeper knowledge of relevant laws, established relationships with medical and accident reconstruction experts, and better understanding of effective negotiation and trial strategies. Experience trying cases to verdict rather than only settling also matters because insurance companies offer better settlements when they know the attorney is prepared to go to trial.
Track Record of Results
Review the attorney’s history of settlements and verdicts in drunk driving and serious injury cases. While past results do not guarantee future outcomes, consistent success demonstrates the attorney’s ability to build strong cases and advocate effectively for clients. Look for evidence of substantial settlements or jury awards that reflect full compensation for economic damages, non-economic losses, and punitive damages.
Be wary of attorneys who promise specific results or claim they can guarantee outcomes. Honest attorneys explain that every case is unique and multiple factors affect results, but they should be able to discuss their general approach and why they believe they can achieve fair compensation in your situation.
Resources and Team Support
Serious drunk driving accident cases require significant resources including expert witnesses, investigators, medical record review, and litigation costs that can reach tens of thousands of dollars. Ask whether the law firm has the financial resources to fully investigate and prosecute your case without requiring you to pay upfront costs. Established firms typically advance these expenses and recover them from the settlement or verdict.
A strong support team including paralegals, case managers, and junior attorneys ensures your case receives consistent attention and moves forward efficiently. Solo practitioners may have difficulty managing complex cases while also handling client communication, court deadlines, and negotiations across multiple cases.
Communication and Client Focus
Your attorney should explain legal concepts in plain language, respond to your questions promptly, and keep you informed about case developments without requiring you to constantly follow up. During initial consultations, assess whether the attorney listens carefully to your concerns, asks detailed questions about your accident and injuries, and seems genuinely interested in your case rather than rushing through a sales pitch.
Pay attention to how the law firm’s staff treats you when you call or visit. Friendly, professional staff who know your name and case details indicate a firm that values client relationships and maintains organized case management systems. Poor communication and disorganized administration often signal deeper problems that will frustrate you throughout the legal process.
Common Challenges in Drunk Driving Accident Cases
Despite the clear negligence involved when someone drives drunk and causes injuries, these cases still face challenges that can complicate settlement negotiations or litigation. Understanding potential obstacles helps you and your attorney develop strategies to overcome them and protect your compensation. The following issues arise frequently in drunk driving accident claims.
Insufficient Insurance Coverage
Many drunk drivers carry only Georgia’s minimum required liability insurance of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident under O.C.G.A. § 33-34-4, which rarely covers the full value of serious injury claims. When your damages exceed available insurance coverage, collecting full compensation becomes difficult even if you win a judgment against the drunk driver. Most individuals lack personal assets sufficient to pay large verdicts, making them effectively judgment proof.
Your attorney investigates all potential insurance sources including the drunk driver’s policy, any umbrella coverage they carry, your own underinsured motorist coverage, and dram shop liability claims against bars or restaurants that may carry substantial commercial liability policies. Identifying multiple insurance sources significantly improves your chances of full recovery.
Disputed Liability
Insurance companies sometimes argue you share fault for the accident despite the other driver’s intoxication. They may claim you were speeding, failed to yield right of way, or could have avoided the collision through defensive driving. Georgia’s modified comparative negligence rule under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33 reduces your recovery by your percentage of fault and bars recovery entirely if you are 50% or more at fault.
Your attorney counters these arguments with evidence from the police report, witness testimony, accident reconstruction, and the drunk driver’s own admissions or criminal conviction. The fact that the other driver was intoxicated strongly supports their primary responsibility for the accident, but thorough evidence documentation remains essential.
Causation Disputes
Insurance companies may argue your injuries resulted from pre-existing conditions, prior accidents, or causes unrelated to the drunk driving collision. They scrutinize medical records looking for any prior complaints or treatment involving the same body parts injured in the crash. This tactic attempts to reduce the compensation they owe by claiming they should only pay for aggravation of existing conditions rather than entirely new injuries.
Medical expert testimony proves the drunk driving accident caused your current condition or substantially worsened a pre-existing problem. Your attorney obtains statements from treating physicians explaining how the accident trauma directly caused your injuries and distinguishes current symptoms from any prior issues documented in your medical history.
Delay Tactics
Insurance companies sometimes delay investigating claims, requesting unnecessary documentation, making unreasonable settlement demands, or refusing to negotiate seriously in hopes you will become desperate for money and accept an inadequate offer. They know medical bills and lost wages create financial pressure that may force you to settle for less than your case is worth.
Your attorney maintains pressure on the insurance company through formal demand letters, firm deadlines, and willingness to file a lawsuit when negotiations stall. They also help you explore options for managing financial stress during the claims process including payment plans with medical providers and letters of protection that allow treatment while the case proceeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do immediately after being hit by a drunk driver?
Call 911 to report the accident and request medical attention even if you do not believe you are seriously injured, as some injuries like internal bleeding or concussions may not cause immediate symptoms. Stay at the scene and cooperate with police, providing accurate information about what happened while avoiding speculation about your injuries or fault. Take photographs of vehicle damage, skid marks, traffic signals, and the accident scene if you are physically able.
How long do I have to file a drunk driving accident claim in Georgia?
Georgia’s statute of limitations under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 generally allows two years from the accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit, though specific circumstances may shorten or extend this deadline. Missing the deadline typically bars you from pursuing compensation, making prompt consultation with an attorney essential. Starting the claims process early also helps preserve evidence and allows time for thorough investigation.
Can I sue the bar that served the drunk driver?
Yes, if you can prove the bar or restaurant served alcohol to someone who was noticeably intoxicated and that person then caused your injuries through drunk driving. O.C.G.A. § 51-1-40 allows dram shop claims when establishments violate their legal duty to stop serving visibly intoxicated patrons. Your attorney investigates whether servers or bartenders should have recognized signs of intoxication and whether the establishment has a history of overserving customers or violations.
What if the drunk driver doesn’t have enough insurance?
Your own underinsured motorist coverage provides additional compensation when the at-fault driver’s insurance is insufficient to cover your damages. You may also pursue claims against other parties like bars under dram shop liability, employers if the drunk driver was working at the time, or vehicle owners who negligently entrusted their car to someone they knew had drinking problems. Your attorney identifies all potential sources of compensation to maximize your recovery.
How much is my drunk driving accident case worth?
Case value depends on injury severity, medical expenses, lost income, permanent disabilities, and non-economic damages like pain and suffering. Drunk driving cases also allow punitive damages that substantially increase value beyond typical car accident claims. An experienced attorney evaluates these factors by reviewing medical records, consulting experts, and calculating both current and future losses to determine fair compensation.
Will the criminal case against the drunk driver affect my civil claim?
Criminal prosecution and civil claims proceed separately on different timelines with different standards of proof, so criminal case delays do not prevent you from pursuing compensation through a civil lawsuit. A criminal conviction for DUI helps prove liability in your civil case, though you can win your civil claim even if criminal charges are dropped or result in acquittal. Evidence from the criminal case including police reports, BAC results, and witness testimony strengthens your civil claim.
Do I need a lawyer if the drunk driver admitted fault?
Yes, because insurance companies often deny or minimize claims even when their insured admits fault, and serious injuries require expert evaluation to calculate full damages including future medical needs and lost earning capacity. Drunk driving cases also involve complex legal issues like punitive damages and dram shop liability that require attorney expertise to maximize compensation. Most personal injury attorneys offer free consultations and work on contingency fees, so you risk nothing by discussing your case with an experienced lawyer.
Contact a Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one suffered injuries caused by a drunk driver in Savannah, you deserve full compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and the long-term impact on your life. Wetherington Law Firm has extensive experience handling drunk driving accident cases throughout Georgia, and we are committed to holding impaired drivers accountable for the harm they cause. Our attorneys investigate every aspect of your case, pursue all available sources of compensation including punitive damages and dram shop liability, and fight aggressively to secure the maximum recovery you deserve.
Do not let insurance companies pressure you into accepting less than your case is worth or allow critical evidence to disappear while you wait to take action. Contact Wetherington Law Firm today at (404) 888-4444 for a free consultation to discuss your drunk driving accident claim, or complete our online form to schedule an appointment. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for your injuries.