Griffin
Drunk Driving Victim Accident Lawyer

It’s no news to anyone that driving while drunk is a terrible idea – yet many people still get behind the wheel when they’re under the influence. Unfortunately, this means drunk driving accidents are very common on Griffin roads. In fact, one in three deaths that occur in the state of Georgia involve someone driving while intoxicated with alcohol or drugs.

This puts other drivers on the road at serious risk and can lead to life-altering accidents and injuries. If you or a loved one were hurt in a drunk driving accident, an experienced Griffin car accident lawyer can help you recover for what you’ve suffered.

John Foy & Associates has been working exclusively with personal injury victims for more than 20 years. Our goal is to help you recover what you need to financially deal with the painful and costly aftermath of an accident. We also believe every victim of an accident deserves full financial recovery, and we fight for that right.

For a FREE, no-risk consultation with one of our attorneys, call us today at 404-400-4000 or fill out the form to your right today.

What Should I Do After an Accident with a Drunk Driver?

The steps you take following a drunk driving accident are very important. Two immediate steps to take are:

1. Call 911 to report the accident, and
2. Get medical help if you need it you need right away

Even if you don’t need an ambulance, calling police will bring officers to the scene and create a record of the accident, which will strengthen your case to pursue compensation for your damages. Even if the accident seems small, you could still face costs that are much higher than you expect. And getting medical attention is vital for your well-being, especially if you or someone else in the accident has injuries that are more serious than they initial appear.

Other than these two steps, there are some other things you can do to protect yourself. It’s common for negligent drivers to try and avoid responsibility for accidents they caused, and this is even more prevalent in drunk driving cases. Here are some ways you can ensure you advocate for yourself after the accident:

• Tell officers if you think the other driver is drunk. The driver may deny it otherwise or try to cover up their lack of sobriety. Tell police your suspicions so they can administer a breath test or field sobriety test there at the scene and get the truth.
• Watch the drunk driver closely. One way they may try to cover up that their intoxication is by hiding bottles, cans, signs of alcohol, or drug paraphernalia before police arrive. Watch them closely and note anything that seems suspicious. Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol will often walk off-balance, have slurred speech, or have bloodshot eyes. They may also show signs of aggression, so keep your distance to protect yourself until police arrive.
• Take pictures and video. Don’t be afraid to pull out your phone and record the other driver doing anything weird. If they start up a conversation with you, record that too. You’ll also want to document any physical harm and damage from the accident. Take pictures on your phone of any injuries, right after the accident and in the days that follow, as well as damage to your vehicle or other possessions.
• Speak with witnesses. If there were other people who witnessed the accident, ask them for their names, phone numbers, addresses, and emails. Witness testimony can be very powerful in drunk driving cases, and your personal injury lawyer will need to reach out to them when working on your case.

All of this information is important for showing the drunk driver’s responsibility for the accident and your damages.

What Counts As Drunk Driving in Griffin?

The legal limit for alcohol in your system in Georgia is .08% blood alcohol concentration (BAC). This can be measured by a number of tests:

• Breath test
• Blood test
• Urine test

It doesn’t take much to go over this limit, either. Depending on the type of alcohol, just 1-2 drinks can exceed the limit. But besides that, anyone in Griffin whose driver is negatively affected by alcohol or drugs can be considered as driving under the influence.

A person can still be found guilty of DUI even if they were under the limit or their BAC wasn’t measured. And if the driver is under the age of 21, they are guilty of DUI with any amount of alcohol in their system, according to Georgia’s “zero tolerance” policy for underage drunk drivers.

What If the Driver Was on Drugs?

The driver can absolutely be convicted of DUI if they were on drugs; it doesn’t just cover alcohol intoxication. Those drugs can include:

• Cocaine
• Marijuana
• Over-the-counter medications that make the driver drowsy, including cough syrup
• Prescription medications that impair driving, such as painkillers

Talk to a Griffin Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer for Free

If your accident involved a drunk driver, you have a right to financial recovery – and often much more than in a normal car accident case due to punitive damages. Drunk driving of any type is incredibly dangerous to other drivers on the road, and offenders should pay the consequences to the victims they affect. 

If you were injured by a drunk driver, our attorneys at John Foy & Associates want to help. We specialize in personal injury cases like this, and we use our 20+ years of experience to fight tirelessly for your rights. We’d like to offer you a FREE consultation to discuss your case and how we can help you move forward. For this free consultation, simply call us or fill out the online form to your right today.