Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one was recently injured in a vehicle accident caused by an intoxicated driver, it’s natural to feel uncertain and frustrated by your circumstances, wondering how you can recover your losses and hold the drunk driver accountable. An experienced Savannah drunk driving accident lawyer can be an invaluable asset in this situation, helping you make clearer sense of the legal proceedings ahead of you in your attempts to recover your damages.

Every year, driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol is a top-reported cause of serious accidents throughout Georgia. Savannah drunk driving car accident attorneys can help injured victims ensure accountability and secure compensation for their damages after such incidents. Recovery from a drunk driving accident is likely to require an auto insurance claim followed by a complex series of legal proceedings that may span civil and criminal court.

If you or a loved one is recovering from a recent DUI accident, a Savannah drunk driving accident attorney is the ideal resource to consult. The Merritt & Merritt Law Firm has successfully represented many victims of drunk driving accidents in their auto insurance claims and their personal injury claims, and we can put this experience to work for you in your impending case.

For an Immediate Consultation call us at 912-341-6644

Legal Representation for Drunk Driving Accident Claims in Savannah, GA

Merritt & Merritt Law Firm is an experienced team of attorneys with years of successful cases behind us, thanks to our commitment to client-focused legal counsel in every case we accept. We know that no two personal injuries in Savannah, GA, are exactly alike and that every plaintiff will face unique challenges as they seek compensation for their damages. The aftermath of a drunk driving accident can be especially difficult to resolve if you do not have appropriate representation.

Our team can carefully review the details of your recent accident in Savannah and help develop a comprehensive legal strategy for obtaining maximum compensation for your damages. The at-fault driver will face criminal prosecution from the state for breaking the DUI laws, but this criminal case focuses on punishing the defendant rather than compensating the victim. You will need to pursue a civil claim to recover compensation for your losses.

Recovering From an Accident With Auto Insurance

Georgia enforces the fault rule for resolving vehicle accident cases. This means that every driver is required to have auto insurance that includes liability coverage for bodily injuries and property damage they cause in an accident. However, the damages from a serious accident can easily eclipse the compensation that a minimum-coverage policy could provide; it is also possible for an uninsured driver to cause a drunk driving accident.

Whenever an accident happens, the at-fault driver’s insurance can pay for a victim’s damages, and this same rule applies to drunk driving accidents. However, insurance alone may not fully cover your losses, and you could encounter problems with your claim. If the at-fault driver does not have insurance, then you will not be able to file a claim against them, and you may need to claim against your own policy or proceed directly to filing a personal injury suit.

Insurance companies tend to do everything they can to avoid paying out maximum settlements to claimants, sometimes even engaging in bad faith tactics to preserve their profitability. However, an insurance company representative is far less likely to attempt any such tactics when they see that a claimant has legal representation. When you have a Savannah drunk driving accident attorney representing you, they can ensure you receive a fair settlement offer.

Building Your Personal Injury Case Against a Drunk Driver

Even if you encounter no problems with the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier, their insurance policy may not fully cover your total damages. If this applies to your case, or if the at-fault driver does not have auto insurance at all, you will need to file a personal injury case against the at-fault driver to recover your losses. Savannah drunk driving accident attorneys help their clients gather the evidence they need to succeed with these cases.

Your civil claim against the at-fault driver will likely unfold alongside the criminal case filed by the state, and it is possible for these cases to overlap in some ways. For example, the police report and arrest record for the defendant are likely to be crucial pieces of evidence for your civil claim, and you could be called to testify in criminal court as a witness against the defendant. Their criminal sentence could also include restitution that enhances your total recovery.

A civil suit against the drunk driver enables you to recover compensation for any damages not covered by insurance, and you may be entitled to claim much more than you might initially expect. An experienced Savannah drunk driving accident attorney can help their client seek compensation for:

• Medical treatment costs: The defendant who injured you will be responsible for all medical expenses you incur from the accident. They are liable for all immediate and future medical care you require to reach maximum improvement from your injuries.
• Lost wages: If you cannot work while you recover from your accident, the defendant is responsible for the income you cannot earn during this period.
• Lost future earning capacity: When a drunk driving accident has caused a permanent disability that diminishes your ability to work and earn income, the defendant is liable for the future wages you are no longer able to earn.
• Property damage: Your auto insurance claim may result in compensation for some vehicle repair costs, but any property losses not covered by insurance can be cited as economic damages in your personal injury suit.
• Pain and suffering: Georgia’s personal injury statutes enable you to claim compensation for physical pain and emotional distress resulting from the defendant’s actions. There is no limit to pain and suffering compensation in drunk driving accident cases, and the amount the plaintiff receives generally depends on the overall severity of their injuries.

The right attorney on your side dramatically increases your chances of maximizing your final case award after any type of vehicle accident. When you consider that you may receive punitive damages and/or restitution alongside your claimed losses to reflect the illegal nature of the defendant’s behavior, it is possible to recover much more compensation than you might initially expect with the right legal counsel representing you.

Remember that if you are found partially liable for your recent accident, it will diminish your recovery, even if the defendant is more at fault. The state’s comparative fault rule applies to any case in which multiple parties share fault for the damages, and as long as a plaintiff is less than 50% at fault, they can still seek compensation from the defendant in their case.

Resolving Your Drunk Driving Accident Case

Ultimately, insurance may only cover a portion of your total losses. Drunk driving accidents tend to result in significant damages, and a minimum-coverage policy may only amount to a fraction of the total damages you suffered from the accident. In this situation, you will need to build a comprehensive personal injury suit against the at-fault driver, and you may need to resolve this case in the courtroom.

Success with your case will require firm proof of liability as well as a clear explanation of all of the damages you are seeking from the at-fault driver. It is also crucial to prove causation between your claimed damages and the defendant’s actions. In other words, it is necessary to not only prove the full scope of your losses but also prove that the defendant is solely responsible for causing them and that you did not incur them from any other cause.

What to Expect From Your Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Attorney

Merritt & Merritt can provide comprehensive and compassionate legal support through all stages of your recovery efforts following a drunk driving accident in Savannah. Throughout the years of our firm’s operation, we have helped many past clients maximize their recoveries through auto insurance claims and subsequent personal injury cases. We also know how criminal misconduct can influence a victim’s overall recovery.

A drunk driving accident case can be more challenging to resolve than a standard car accident case arising from negligence. The at-fault driver will face criminal charges, and this can have various implications for the victim’s legal efforts to recover. You may not be able to settle your case privately, meaning you will need to prepare for potentially intense litigation against the at-fault driver.

However, one benefit in this situation is that because the driver broke the law in causing this accident, they may owe you punitive damages and/or restitution alongside your other claimable damages. The amount you receive will largely depend on the discretion of the court, but this could make a significant impact on your total recovery.

When you have an experienced Savannah drunk driving accident lawyer representing you, you can rely on them to guide you through every stage of your recovery efforts, from gathering all of the proof you need to firmly establish fault for your accident to help you uncover all the various forms of compensation you can claim. They will help with your insurance claim filing process and make filing a personal injury claim as easy as possible under these circumstances.

FAQs

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

A: The penalties for drunk driving in Savannah can include heavy fines, driver’s license suspension or revocation, jail time, and restitution for damages caused to others. These penalties increase when a driver has a record of past DUI convictions and/or has caused an accident resulting in great bodily harm or death. Your attorney can advise you as to how a criminal case against the defendant in your claim may impact your recovery.

Q: What Compensation Can I Claim for a Drunk Driving Accident?

A: The compensation you can claim for a drunk driving accident will include compensation for your economic losses, such as your vehicle repair costs, medical bills, and lost income. You also have the right to seek compensation for any projected future losses you are likely to incur from the incident, as well as pain and suffering compensation. Since the defendant broke the law, they may also owe you restitution and/or punitive damages alongside your other claimed losses.

Q: Is Georgia a No-Fault State for Car Accidents?

A: No, Georgia is not a no-fault state for car accidents. The fault rule applies, meaning it will be necessary for you to prove fault for an accident before you can recover any compensation for your damages. If another driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol when they caused your accident, they will almost certainly be found at fault, meaning they are not only liable for your damages but will also face criminal prosecution for breaking the law.

Q: How Are Pain and Suffering Calculated in a Personal Injury Case?

A: Pain and suffering compensation can be calculated in various ways in a personal injury case. There is no strict formula that a plaintiff needs to use to determine appropriate compensation; they have the right to seek as much as they believe to be reasonable to reflect the overall severity of the harm they suffered and the scope of long-term or permanent harm they have incurred from the defendant’s actions.

Q: Why Do I Need to Hire a Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer?

A: You need to hire a Savannah drunk driving accident lawyer to ensure the highest chance of success with your claim. Even though the fault for the accident may be clear, and you may have a firm understanding of the various damages you could claim from the at-fault driver, this does not mean you are certain to win your case on your own or that you would be able to recover the same amount of compensation an experienced attorney could obtain on your behalf.

The right Savannah drunk driving accident lawyer on your side can have a tremendous positive influence on the outcome of your impending case. You have a limited time to file any kind of personal injury case, and the sooner you file your case, the more likely you are to win. Contact Merritt & Merritt today to schedule your free consultation with a team of Savannah drunk driving accident attorneys you can trust with your recovery.