Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Attorney

Buckhead Law Saxton Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. Represents Crash Victims

At Buckhead Law Saxton Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., our attorneys have worked with Georgia crash victims since 1977. We understand how these cases work, including what happens when a drunk driver causes a preventable collision. We can monitor the criminal case against them while managing all aspects of the civil case and pursuing compensation for our client hurt in the crash.

We know Georgia’s personal injury laws inside and out. We have negotiated settlements with every major insurer in the state and have gone to court and recovered payouts at trial for many clients. We know how to build a case and move it forward through the claims process. We hold careless and reckless drivers accountable and recover compensation for our clients.

You can count on our team to:

• Handle all aspects of your car accident case
• Manage all communication with the insurance companies
• Gather evidence to show what happened and support your case
• Demand compensation based on the case facts
• Negotiate with the insurer for a fair settlement
• File a lawsuit when necessary
• Represent your best interests throughout this process

We know that insurers rarely pay out fair compensation willingly. We fight for the money our clients deserve and help ensure they receive the coverage necessary to pay their bills and cover losses. We know how hard it is to handle this process while recovering from injuries and undergoing rehabilitation. Let us manage your claim today.

How Our Firm Receives Payment?

We are a contingency fee firm. We do not ask our clients to pay any upfront fees for representation. Our attorney’s fees come from the money we recover in the case. We can discuss the percentage during your free case review with our team.

We can answer any questions you have before you sign a contract for us to represent you in your case. You will not pay any attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you.

How Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Cases Work?

Most people are aware of the criminal case against drunk drivers. If the police believe a driver is intoxicated, they will ask for roadside sobriety tests, a breath test, or a blood test at a nearby hospital. Commercial drivers must undergo testing regardless of whether the police see signs of intoxication.

If the driver’s tests show a violation of the applicable drunk driving laws 0.08 BAC for most drivers they will likely face driving under the influence (DUI) charges.

According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Georgia, drunk driving convictions come with significant penalties through the criminal justice system.

For a first offense, this includes:

• Jail time of up to one year
• Fine of $300 to $1,000
• One-year driver’s license suspension
• 40 hours of community service
• $210 license reinstatement fee

However, none of these penalties helps the victims pay their bills or otherwise fix the unstable financial footing that often occurs because of a serious car accident. This is where the civil case comes in. Georgia law allows accident victims build a case and hold negligent drivers and other liable parties legally responsible for their physical, psychological, and financial harm.

Criminal Cases vs. Civil Cases

When our attorneys handle a Savannah drunk driving accident, we can file an insurance claim or lawsuit and seek compensation for our client. This action is completely separate from the criminal case against the at-fault driver. We do not have to show they were drunk or that their intoxication caused the crash. We can hold them legally responsible regardless of their criminal charges, including if they never face charges or if there is no conviction.

A criminal conviction only supports our civil claim or lawsuit. We can use the evidence from this case to support our civil action. However, the outcome of this case has no direct effect on an insurance claim or civil suit. We can still recover compensation in many cases when the at-fault driver wins their criminal DUI case.

Building a Civil Case Against a Savannah Drunk Driver

Buckhead Law Saxton Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. handles car accident cases daily. Our attorneys know how to investigate your Savannah drunk driving crash case. This process includes identifying the liable party, proving they caused the crash, and holding them legally responsible for your damages.

Our investigations identify evidence that supports the insurance claim or lawsuit, helping us recover compensation for you. The evidence available in these cases depends greatly on the circumstances. Our team needs to take numerous steps to understand what evidence is available, gather it, and analyze what it means for the case. This allows us to build strong support showing what happened and who is legally responsible.

The steps our team needs to take in many Savannah crash cases include:

• Identifying and interviewing eyewitnesses
• Obtaining the police report and other related documents
• Seeking video of the crash from nearby businesses and traffic cameras
• Working with accident reconstruction specialists
• Surveying the accident scene
• Analyzing physical evidence
• Learning as much as possible about the DUI case against the driver
• Gathering relevant medical records
• Documenting the victim’s damages

Evidence Helps Us Establish the Other Driver’s Negligence

With the evidence we gather, we can generally show negligence occurred. There are four elements to negligence.

This includes:

• Duty of care
• Breach of duty
• Causation
• Harm

All four of these components are present in most car accident cases. Drivers who cause crashes generally act negligently. For example, imagine the driver failed to stop at a stop sign. They had a duty to obey all traffic signs and signals. They breached this duty by running the stop sign. This caused your intersection accident, and you suffered injuries. We can document all four of the elements of negligence in this case.

We can hold the at-fault driver responsible for your injuries and losses. The evidence of their DUI will support our case against them, although it is unnecessary to win compensation for you. Our attorneys know how to obtain this evidence when needed to help with your claim or lawsuit.

Every Car Accident Case Differs

Identifying the damages suffered is a key part of this process, too. The type and value of damages depend greatly on the injuries suffered. Injuries depend on many factors. Every case is different, but some types of accidents are more likely to cause certain injuries. Those that occur at higher speeds are more likely to lead to more severe injuries, too.

Generally, there are four types of crashes:

• Rear-end collisions
• Head-on crashes
• Side-impact collisions
• Rollovers

The following catastrophic injuries most often occur at higher speeds:

• Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
• Traumatic amputations
• Significant burns and scarring
• Severe internal injuries to multiple organs
• Serious fractures or crush injuries

Other injuries common in car accidents include:

• Serious lacerations
• Contusions
• Abrasions and burn injuries
• Fractures
• Whiplash
• Joint injuries

Our attorneys know how to document damages in these cases. It is essential for recovering fair compensation through an insurance claim or civil suit. We must know how much our clients lost because of their injuries before we can recover the money for them. We know how to value these cases and ensure we seek justice by pursuing the money necessary to pay their current and future bills, cover losses, and more.

Damages Recoverable in a Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Case

After our investigation, we must put a fair settlement range on the case before taking other steps.

Our team gathers documentation to show each client’s damages before pursuing compensation in their case, such as:

• Medical bills and other related documents
• Paperwork related to income and time away from work
• Relevant medical records
• Estimates for car repair or value of the totaled car
• Information from medical experts
• Other expert opinions
• Other documentation of expenses, losses, and injuries

Once we establish a fair settlement range for the case, we demand compensation from the insurance company or sue the at-fault driver and ask the court to award a payout within this range. Our experienced attorney knows how much just compensation means to our clients and does not settle for less.

The recoverable damages in these cases vary greatly based on the circumstances, injuries, severity, and other details. We identify the unique case facts before we seek compensation, ensuring we know the damages our client suffered.

While each case is unique, some common recoverable damages in these cases include:

• Medical treatment costs, including ambulance transportation, hospitalization, rehabilitation, therapy, and related expenses
• Ongoing and future care and treatment needs
• Medical and adaptive equipment costs
• Lost income while they cannot work
• Diminished earning capacity if they cannot return to their previous work
• Vehicle repair or replacement
• Other related expenses
• Pain and suffering damages

While punitive damages are rare in traffic accident cases, they could be possible if the driver was intoxicated when they caused the crash. Our team can assess if this is possible in your case and discuss your options.

Wrongful Death in Savannah Drunk Driving Accidents

When a drunk driver causes a crash and a victim suffers fatal injuries, the at-fault driver is legally responsible for the damages resulting from their death. Georgia law allows their immediate family members to receive compensation for these damages. The recoverable damages in a wrongful death claim or lawsuit are unique from those in a personal injury case.

Our attorneys know the recoverable damages in these cases and how to value them. We gather documentation of the family’s funeral and burial costs, outstanding expenses, income losses, cost of lost services, intangible damages, and more. We seek appropriate compensation based on these losses.

Our team files claims or lawsuits to recover compensation for families who lost a loved one in a drunk driving crash. Punitive damages are sometimes available in these cases, as well.

When Are Lawsuits Necessary After Savannah Drunk Driving Accidents?

At Buckhead Law Saxton Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., our lawyers know the best options for navigating a DUI crash civil case. Most of these cases settle without going to trial. In many cases, we can negotiate a fair settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurer without suing. Even when we sue, the case often ends with a negotiated payout. Very few cases go to trial.

However, filing a lawsuit and preparing for a trial are sometimes necessary, especially if:

• There are major questions unanswered in the case.
• The insurer disagrees about fault or liability.
• The insurance company will not make a fair offer.
• Deadlines are quickly approaching.
• There are other reasons our attorneys believe we need to sue.

Many cases that involve lawsuits do so because of the timeline. Georgia law generally only gives us up to two years to sue on behalf of a client. Missing this deadline would mean losing the right to sue later, so we begin the process while still working toward a fair settlement in the case.

Discuss Your Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Case With Our Team

Buckhead Law Saxton Accident Injury Lawyers P.C. provides free consultations for Savannah crash victims. Our attorneys are here for you if a drunk driver caused your collision. We help our clients build these cases and fight for the compensation they deserve.

Contact us at (912) 200-9059. We can assess your case and explain our services to you for free.

Buckhead Law Saxton Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C. – Savannah Office

100 Bull St,
Savannah, GA 31401
+19122009059