The drunk driving accident injuries seen in Georgia hospitals can range from minor cuts and bruises to traumatic brain injuries.
These injuries can prevent you from returning to work or ever resuming your normal daily life. They may require ongoing medical treatments, forcing your family to face mounting medical bills.
Knowing the impact that drunk driving injuries can have is the first step to holding at-fault drivers accountable and getting the compensation you deserve.
Common Drunk Driving Injuries in Georgia
The extent of your injuries determines the potential value of your personal injury claim. That’s why it’s a good idea to secure an attorney with experience handling DUI (driving under the influence) cases.
An attorney can help you get the maximum compensation allowed under Georgia law. They can review medical records and other evidence to support your claim.
The following are common drunk driving accident injuries:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Organ damage
- Hip, knee, and shoulder injuries
- Loss of limbs
- Neck and spinal cord injuries
- Head and brain injuries
- Death
Soft tissue injuries affect the muscles, ligaments, and tendons, which can be stretched or torn, leading to pain and swelling.
Organ damage is the result of trauma to the abdomen. This can affect the bowels, spleen, liver, kidney, heart, and lungs.
Trauma to the organs may not be obvious right away. So, internal bleeding and other issues must be identified and treated accordingly.
Injuries to the hips, knees, and shoulders can lead to temporary or permanent disabilities.
The loss of limbs from trauma or a medical amputation has lasting impacts on a person’s ability to function.
Neck and back injuries can lead to chronic pain, and trauma to the brain can result in cognitive impairments. Treatments can be extensive and costly.
Spinal cord injuries that lead to paralysis may require long-term personal assistance and care from family members or professional healthcare providers.
In the most serious drunk driving accidents, a person can lose their life, causing immeasurable pain and suffering to family members.
How Your Personal Injury Attorney Can Help
Working with an experienced attorney gives you and your family the legal representation you need to prove another driver’s negligence in a court of law.
An attorney can defend your rights and hold drunk drivers accountable for their reckless behavior. They can identify third parties who may have contributed to your drunk driving accident.
Bars, restaurants, and other establishments that serve alcohol may be responsible for an accident when they knowingly serve customers who are already intoxicated.
Bartenders and waiters may be liable, as well as owners and managers of establishments that serve alcoholic beverages.
An individual hosting a private party may also be at fault if they were aware of a guest’s level of intoxication and potential for getting behind the wheel of an automobile.
Considering all responsible parties ensures that you get the compensation you deserve while protecting others from future drunk driving accidents.
Getting Compensated for Drunk Driving Injuries and Damages
If you or someone you know has been injured by a drunk driver, consult with a personal injury attorney to pursue compensation so you can cover medical expenses, lost wages, damage to personal property, and other losses.
An attorney can conduct an investigation to determine how you were injured and the full extent of your injuries.
They can put a value on the impact that your injuries have had on you and your family by considering the loss of future income as well as ongoing medical expenses you’ll face moving forward.
An attorney will work hard to help you recover physically and financially so that you can return to your daily life.