Driving under the influence of drugs and or alcohol represent an average of 24% of all roadway fatalities a year in Georgia.
Have you been hit by a driver who was under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, or some combination of all of those? Despite tough DUI laws in Georgia where the repeat offender’s third drunk-driving conviction may cause the driver to be declared a habitual violator, driving under the influence of drugs and or alcohol represent an average of 24% of all roadway fatalities a year in Georgia.
Friedman & Martin, Personal Injury Attorneys, has 60 combined years of experience handling DUI and DWI cases. Wrecks involving drunk driving often result in complex insurance accident claims and litigation. There can be major life-changing injuries, including paralysis, back and spine injuries, mental health anguish, and much more. You need an attorney who is an expert in this area.
Georgia’s DUI Laws
• 08% or higher, if they’re 21 years old or older operating regular passenger vehicles.
• 04% or higher, if they’re operating commercial vehicles.
• 02% or higher, if they’re younger than 21 years old.
Alcohol is a substance that affects the central nervous system and impairs thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination. With alcohol in your system, there is decline of visual function, reduced coordination, reduced information processing capability. With these impairments, you are unable to operate a vehicle safely. As a person ingests alcohol, it is absorbed directly through the walls of the stomach and small intestine and then passes into the bloodstream where it accumulates until it is metabolized by the liver. Alcohol level is measured by the weight of the alcohol in a certain volume of blood. This is called Blood Alcohol Concentration, or BAC. At a BAC of .08 grams of alcohol per deciliter of blood (g/dL), crash risk increases exponentially. Because of this risk, it’s illegal in all 50 states.
Despite regularly seeing news coverage regarding DUI crashes, the statistics are still sobering. The chance of a crash being fatal is six times higher if exposed to an impaired driver compared to those not related to alcohol or drugs. DUI drivers often cross the center line, fail to maintain lane, rear end you, turn incorrectly in front of you, or travel the wrong way in your lane. DUI drivers often don’t know that they have even been in a wreck, telling the officer that they thought they “hit a deer” or “felt a bump, but didn’t know what it was.”
Before hiring an injury attorney to handle your DUI accident claim, ask the lawyer:
1) How many clients have you represented that have been hit by a DUI driver?
2) What was the outcome of that case?
3) Why is your firm better at handling these types of cases than another firm might be?
4) What sorts of injuries have your clients had?
5) What is the most amount of money you’ve collected for a client in a drunk driving injury case?
6) When was the last time you represented someone who was injured in a DUI wreck?
7) Can I call that person or their family for a reference?
If you have been hit by a DUI driver, contact Friedman and Martin, Personal Injury Attorneys. We can help process your medical bills, lost wages, and the need for a rental car. We can help you get in contact with the proper State Solicitor or State District Attorney, who will work with you on prosecution of the DUI driver.