Drunk Driver Injury Lawyer in Norcross, Gwinnett County
Drunk driving is a deadly mistake that causes some of the most deadly car accidents on the road. Drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs are prone to speeding, red-light running, driving the wrong way, and other acts of recklessness that can lead to high-speed collisions and major injuries. If you have injuries or a loved one died in a crash with a drunk driver, call the personal injury lawyers at Dermer Appel Ruder. Our car accident lawyers can help you hold the reckless driver accountable.
Drunk Driving Statistics
Every day, drunk driving takes 29 lives. The United States spends more than $44 billion per year on alcohol-related crashes. In 2016, 28% of all car accident fatalities stemmed from drunk drivers. The death toll was a whopping 10,497 people. Police arrested more than a million drivers in 2016 for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Georgia’s percentage of people who report driving drunk is 1.4%. This is slightly lower than the national average of 1.9%. Over a 10-year period, 3,700 people died in drunk driving accidents in Georgia.
You aren’t just a statistic or case file to us at Dermer Appel Ruder. You’re a human being with needs, concerns, and questions. We treat each client who comes to us with personal care from one of our lead attorneys. When you count on us for legal assistance, you get our full, undivided attention. We’ll investigate your car accident, collect key evidence to prove the other driver’s drunkenness, and file your injury claim with the Peachtree Corners courts before the state’s filing deadline. Our Georgia drunk driver injury lawyers give your case its best chance at success.
Drunk Driving Laws in Georgia
It is illegal to drive drunk in Georgia, as it is in all 50 states. The maximum blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit is 0.08%. Driving with a BAC over this limit is breaking the law. Driving with a lower BAC could still qualify as driving under the influence, however, if the driver is under 21, a commercial driver, or intoxicated enough to affect the ability to drive. Police statements regarding the behaviors of the driver at the time of the crash could help prove drunk driving, even if chemical or blood tests come back with a BAC under 0.08%.
Who Is Liable in a Drunk Driving Crash?
In Georgia, the person who causes the car accident will be liable, or legally responsible, for paying the damages. This is the intoxicated driver in most drunk driving accident cases. The driver made the decision to get behind the wheel while inebriated. Therefore, he or she must accept the consequences. It is up to the plaintiff to prove that the driver was drunk (e.g., through blood alcohol tests or police reports) and that this drunkenness caused the accident. Only then will the courts hold the drunk driver liable for damages.
Georgia statutes offer an alternative liable party in drunk driving wrecks: the person, restaurant, bar, or establishment that furnished the driver with the alcohol. Georgia Code Section 51-1-40 states that someone who “willfully, knowingly, and unlawfully” furnishes alcoholic beverages to an underage person, knowing that that person will soon be driving, or knowingly sells, furnishes or serves alcoholic beverages to a person who is in a state of noticeable intoxication knowing that that person will soon be driving a motor vehicle may be liable for accidents that person causes. If an underage intoxicated driver caused your crash, it is possible that the person or establishment that provided the beverage could be responsible.
Request Your Free Consultation
Holding a drunk driver liable for your accident and injuries is much easier with help from a Georgia drunk driver injury attorney. After a collision with a DUI driver, contact Dermer Appel Ruder. We’ll meet with you during a free consultation to discuss your legal options. You could be eligible for compensatory and punitive damages under Georgia law.
Serving Atlanta and all surrounding areas including but not limited to Duluth, Dunwoody, Alpharetta, Peachtree Corners, Roswell & Johns Creek. We can help you obtain maximum results for your case. Call (404) 892-8884 today.
