Atlanta Injury Attorneys Blog

A Georgia accident victim who has been injured by a drunk driver, intoxicated driver or a driver under the influence of illegal drugs has options beyond those of other accident victims. Georgia law provides no caps on punitive damages for personal injury victims. Punitive damages are damages that punish an offending driver and deter similar conduct. Someone who is injured where no punitive behavior has occurred is entitled to special and general damages, but not punitive damages. Juries may seek to punish drunk drivers. That money goes to the victim and can often be substantial.

Georgia Drunk driving victims often suffer permanent, disabling spine injuries, burn injuries and other catastrophic injuries because drunk driving accidents often result from head on collisions. Charles Scholle is an experienced DUI accident victim attorney who can help victims of DUI accidents in Atlanta and Georgia.

No injury is more devastating to a Georgia truck accident victim, auto accident victim or premises liability victim than a spinal cord injury. Paralysis occurs if the spinal cord is severed. Depending on where it is severed, the paralysis can be defined as quadriplegia for paralysis of all four limbs, or paraplegia for paralysis of only the lower extremities. Whatever the result, the practical effect of a spinal cord injury is life-changing.

Gwinnet County spine injury cases are complicated and require expert testimony concerning the real-life impact of the injury and an economic quantification of all the damages. Issues like future medical treatment, future physical therapy treatment, future lost wages, future reduction and ability to earn a living are all relevant inquiries. All aspects of the life status pre-injury compared to post-injury must be fully explored to assure a fair settlement or verdict for the injured party. Many times discovering all available insurance is the most challenging aspect of a lawyer's role. Most liability insurance policies do not cover the extensive damages suffered by spinal cord injury victims. Consequently, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage needs to be claimed. Multiple UM policies in Georgia can often be stacked to maximize coverage.

Securing the evidence needed to prove liability is also key. If the accident involved a tractor trailer, they typically have already obtained a head start in the process. Knowing that the injuries are often catastrophic, these insurance companies and responsible parties go out of their way to reduce their chances of having to pay any large amounts. An accident attorney needs to act aggressively to make sure the accident victim is protected.