Drunk Driver DUI Car Accident Cases
Car accidents are caused by intoxicated drivers every day. It is sad, but true. You hear about it all the time on the local news. I have successfully represented many clients who were injured as a result of someone driving while intoxicated or high on drugs.
It is important not let someone drive away from an accident scene if you smell alcohol or they look like they are high on drugs. Many people do not know that if someone is cited and convicted for O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391 an injured person is entitled to punitive damages under Georgia law. And punitive damages greatly increase the value of a personal injury claim if presented to the insurance company in the right way.
What are punitive damages and why are they so important?
Being different from compensatory damages, which compensate people for their medical bills, financial losses, injuries, and pain and suffering, punitive damages are intended to punish and deter reckless conduct. In order to recover punitive damages, it must be proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant’s actions showed “willful misconduct, malice, fraud, wantonness, oppression, or the entire want of care which would raise the presumption of conscious indifference to consequences.” O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1