A terrifying close call will not satisfy the measurable injuries requirement. Examples of qualifying injuries include such things as bruises, lacerations, fractures, back injuries, whiplash, and other injuries for which you received medical care.
Damages in Drunk Driving Lawsuits
The at-fault driver will have to pay for your injuries, both the economic damages (easily measurable in dollars) and the non-economic losses (harder to quantify in financial terms).
Your economic damages can include:
- Medical expenses. All reasonable costs that resulted from the wreck, like the ambulance, emergency room, surgery, doctors, hospital, prescription drugs, and physical therapy.
- Lost wages to compensate you for wages, salary, or other income you missed out on because of the wreck, initial trauma care, ongoing medical treatments, and recuperation.
- Long-term care and assistance if your injuries make you unable to live independently without help with your medical care and daily personal activities.
Your non-economic damages can include:
- Pain and suffering to compensate you for your physical pain, emotional distress, and inconvenience. We will calculate a reasonable amount for this type of loss.
- Your spouse’s claim for loss of consortium if your injuries affected your relationship.
Collecting Compensation When You Were Partly at Fault
Sometimes people assume that they cannot recover damages if they were at all negligent, but that is not true. Georgia follows the law of comparative fault, which allows people to collect some damages even if their behavior was not perfect. The law will reduce your compensation in proportion to the amount of your fault compared to the total negligence.
Say the judge finds that you were five percent at fault in the wreck, the law will deduct five percent from the compensation you would otherwise get in the case. So, if the judge awards you $100,000, you will get $95,000 after the court deducts five percent ($5,000) from the $100,000 judgment.
Getting Help for a Drunk Driving Injury Lawsuit in Georgia
The statistics show that alcohol use and drunk driving are one of the main causes of car accidents in Georgia. If you got hurt in a drunk driving accident, we can talk with you about filing a lawsuit against the impaired driver. You do not have to sort out all the legal issues or figure out whether you are eligible for compensation. We will take care of those things for you.
We cannot say how much compensation you are likely to receive without meeting with you and going over the facts of your case. We will be happy to answer your questions and tell you some things you can expect. We do not charge for this service. We do not charge any legal fees until you get compensation.
Just call us today at 404-474-0804, and we will set up your free consultation. There is no obligation.