Injured by a Drunk Driver (DUI)

Under Georgia law, if a drunk driver (DUI driver) causes a wreck it is best to contact an attorney immediately. When someone is driving drunk or recklessly a person who is injured, even just a little, can pursue a case for punitive damages.

Punitive damages are not damages for your pain and suffering or out of pocket expenses. Punitive damages are damages to punish the drunk driver for flagrantly disregarding your safety and the safety of our community. If you are struck by a drunk driver, in most cases, your attorney will be seeking a policy limit demand against the drunk driver’s insurance company. In none legal language, you should pursue and work to recover all the insurance monies of the drunk driver.

Drunk driver personal injury suits generally result in larger financial recoveries for the persons injured by the drunk drivers. If you have been hit by a drunk driver you should hire an attorney today to protect your rights.

If you have been hurt and it was because of someone else’s negligence or mistake it is up to you to develop your claim to get the most recovery from an insurance company. From the day you are injured until the day of settlement your decisions and actions will directly effect the value of your claim.

First: Go to the Emergency Room

First, if you are injured: go directly to the emergency room. This is necessary for multiple reasons, first to help you during your injured state, but also, going to the emergency room adds value to your future insurance claim. Because the documentation shows you acted appropriately when hurt and sought medical care as soon as possible.

The first step in documenting your case, is to seek prompt medical care. Either from an emergency room or an urgent care clinic. Do this as soon as you can when you are injured.

Second: Follow Your Doctor’s Orders

Second, Follow your Doctor’s orders. If the doctor recommends physical therapy, do it. If he orders you to see a chiropractor, go.

The same reasons as above apply. First, you should always follow your doctor’s orders when injured to get healthy. Second, doing so increases the documentation for your settlement and the value of your claim.

Third: HIre a Lawyer

Third, hire legal representation as soon as possible after you injury. Statistics show people represented by attorneys receive far more money then persons who settle without representation.

The reason you hire an attorney is to rely on their knowledge of the law in Georgia and how it applies to your case. If you are not being treated fairly by the insurance company you and your attorney will be able to make an educated decision to file suit and aggressively seek a larger dollar amount to resolve your case.

Fourth: Review Your Insurance Coverage

Fourth, review your insurance coverage. Even though someone else injured you, your own insurance may have under-insured motorist coverage. Under Georgia law this coverage may stack (be added to the person’s insurance who hurt you) on top of the insurance you file your original claim with. You need to know what insurance you can make a claim under to know what your potential recovery may be from insurance policies.

Remember, each case is different, and your best plan is to hire an attorney to advise you on your insurance claim.

Category: Personal Injury

Injured by a Drunk Driver (DUI)

Read Also

How to Get a Fair Settlement In Your Personal Injury Claim

Read Also