Sugar Hill
Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Despite education campaigns and harsh penalties, accidents caused by drunk drivers continue far too frequently, even in the Sugar Hill area. Such accidents have the potential to destroy lives, killing or catastrophically injuring victims. Drunk drivers must be held responsible for the devastation they cause. 

Should you or a loved one be injured, or if you lose a loved one due to the actions of a drunk driver, consult with a Sugar Hill drunk driving accident lawyer from John Foy & Associates. Your lawyer will serve as a compassionate but fierce advocate, fighting to hold those who have caused your injuries accountable.

Why You Should Pursue a Settlement After a Drunk Driving Accident in Sugar Hill

When a drunk driver’s reckless and illegal behavior causes you harm, that driver needs to be held financially, legally, and morally responsible. 

Financial Recovery

Injuries sustained in a drunk driving accident often require intense and extensive medical intervention that may include surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, or permanent care. These interventions come at a tremendous financial cost.

Your employment status may change because of your injuries. You will probably miss days of work, possibly weeks or months. If your injuries are especially severe, you may never return to work at all. These lost wages and income leave you and your household with an insecure financial future.

Along with medical costs and loss of income, you may face additional financial loss if you need to hire others to fulfill household, childcare, or other responsibilities you can no longer manage. This financial burden is not yours to bear. A Sugar Hill drunk driving accident attorney from John Foy & Associates will help remove that burden from you and place it on the drunk driver’s shoulders, where it belongs.

Securing Justice After a Drunk Driving Crash

Drunk driving accidents are entirely preventable. Those who cause them make a choice to put all other drivers and passengers on the road in danger. The act is a crime. 

While criminal courts hold offenders responsible by invoking fines or prison sentences to pay their debt to society, the driver also owes you a debt personally. 

The weight of injustice often compounds the emotional trauma of the accident and your injuries. Knowing a preventable act and the willful decision caused your suffering can leave you in turmoil. A financial settlement may not restore you to your pre-accident condition, but it can bring you a degree of justice.

To Send a Message and Help Protect Society

Many states, including Georgia, have laws in place to increase punishments for repeat drunk driving offenders. Such laws show how seriously some states take this criminal behavior. Sadly, their necessity also shows offenders are not easily deterred. 

Collecting punitive damages effects an additional punishment, hitting the offender where it often hurts most: in the wallet. The fear of financial devastation may help send a message to potential offenders and prevent them from getting behind the wheel while drunk.

How to Collect a Settlement

The legal process can be complicated, and it will take time for your case to move through that process. However, when you put your case in the hands of a drunk driving accident attorney in Sugar Hill, your case will be managed with the utmost efficiency.

File Appropriately

For your claim to be successful, you must file against the appropriate party. While it may seem the obvious culprit is the drunk driver, that is not always the situation. Any drunk driver can face criminal charges. 

Only drivers whose drunkenness, not another factor, caused the accident can be held responsible in personal injury cases. In other words, if the driver was drunk, but the accident occurred at an intersection with a broken traffic light, that broken light might be the cause. Your lawyer will investigate the accident thoroughly to ensure proper filing and protect your claim’s success.

You might also file a claim against the alcohol sellers or servers who provided the drunk driver with alcohol. Georgia Code 51-1-40 establishes dram shop and social host laws, allowing victims to file against restaurants, liquor stores, bars, or house party hosts who

• Serve alcohol to minors with intention and with full awareness of their age
• Serve alcohol to any individual of legal drinking age who is observably intoxicated and who the server knows will soon get behind the wheel.

Present Evidence

Your skilled drunk driving accident lawyer in Sugar Hill will know what kinds of evidence to collect and how to collect it. This evidence can include police reports, the testimony of arresting officers, witness accounts, and camera footage from traffic or security cameras.

Carry Out Informed Negotiations

Do not allow any insurance company (even your own) or at-fault party to determine the value of your case. Do not speak to insurance adjusters about settlement amounts. Insurance companies and at-fault parties will do their best to avoid paying out settlements, and their “best” often involves using unethical practices to deflect fault or convince you to accept a settlement far less than what you deserve.

Your Sugar Hill drunk driving accident attorney will handle all communication with the at-fault parties and their representatives and will conduct informed negotiations armed with 

• Knowledge of the law
• Knowledge of your case and its value
• Extensive experience

Take Your Case to Court

Often, personal injury cases are settled out of court. However, sometimes at-fault parties refuse to make a satisfactory offer. Should this happen, you can count on your lawyer to discuss your options with you, and offer advice on the best course of action. 

If you choose to take your case to court, your lawyer will represent you at all trial proceedings.

Do Not Pay for Someone Else’s Crime Against You

Drivers who choose to drive while intoxicated show complete disregard for all other drivers and passengers on the road. If you or your loved ones are left to face physical, emotional, and financial havoc because of a drunk driver’s selfish decision, you need a strong legal advocate to fight for the financial and moral justice you deserve. You can find that advocate by visiting our contact page and scheduling a free consultation with a Sugar Hill drunk driving accident lawyer from John Foy & Associates today.