Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys
Hit by a Drunk Driver? We Are on Your Side
Most of us know and appreciate that it is extremely dangerous – and illegal – to drive after having too many alcoholic beverages. However, millions of people in the U.S. still make the decision to drink and drive, despite knowing that impaired driving can cause accidents with fatalities and serious injuries. A drunk driver’s reckless decision can change your life in an instant.
Drinking too much alcohol prevents a driver from being able to operate a vehicle safely. Alcohol slows reaction times, impairs judgment, causes blurred vision, and can even cause a driver to pass out at the wheel. Drunk drivers are also more prone to speeding and aggressive driving, which is particularly dangerous when the person behind the wheel has impaired reflexes.
Drunk driving accidents cause thousands of fatalities and injured victims, often without recourse. All too often, a drunk driver who causes an accident flees the scene, attempting to avoid detection. Even those drunk drivers apprehended by police may ultimately avoid jail time, only paying a fine, taking classes, or submitting to alcohol treatment. Meanwhile, victims who survive drunk driving accidents often suffer severe life-changing injuries. If you were injured by a drunk driver, you need legal representation you can trust to ensure that drunk driver is held fully accountable and pays for the losses and injuries he or she caused. If you were in an accident in the Savannah area, call Hasner Law as soon as possible at 912-234-2334 or contact us online to discuss your accident and your legal options.
A Drunk Driver Can Change Your Life
A drunk driving accident can change your life permanently in an instant. You may spend weeks in a hospital, undergo surgeries, and then spend weeks or years in rehabilitative therapy. Such extensive medical care can be extremely costly.
Moreover, many seriously injured individuals do not return to work for some time – if at all. Often traumatic injuries require a patient to refrain from any activities like work, school, or even daily household tasks. If an injury causes lasting impairments, you may not be able to return to your previous profession, or work at all. For example, if you were a scientist, a traumatic brain injury may cause cognitive impairments that make it impossible to return to your career. Likewise, a spinal cord injury may cause permanent paralysis, preventing you from returning to any profession that involves physical labor or activity.
In addition to causing a mountain of medical bills and taking away your livelihood, a catastrophic injury can also change your life on a personal level. You may not be able to engage in the social or recreational activities you once enjoyed. You may even require assistance with basic daily tasks like dressing, or require home health care. All of these changes can result in serious loss of enjoyment of life, in addition to the physical pain and suffering you are already experiencing.
Not every drunk driving accident involves serious injuries. Some lucky victims walk away with relatively minor injuries. However, even minor injuries can result in medical bills and lost income from a few hours or days off work – and these losses should also be compensated. If you were the victim of a drunk driving accident, you should call Hasner Law to discuss your rights to recovery. We handle a wide range of cases and you should consult with a member of our team to learn how we can help you.
Proving Your Drunk Driving Injury Claim
If the driver who caused your accident was clearly intoxicated, you may expect to automatically have all your expenses and losses covered. However, a criminal DUI case against the driver may not involve payment of compensation to the accident victims.
A criminal conviction for driving under the influence can punish a drunk driver with jail time, fines, license suspension, and similar penalties, but it will rarely involve a significant amount of restitution to accident victims. You are not guaranteed any financial recovery and should hire an attorney to take legal action to protect your rights. With the help of a skilled drunk driving accident attorney, you can take action by filing an insurance claim, a lawsuit in civil court, or both.
You may also need a skilled drunk driving accident attorney to prove that the driver who hit you had been drinking. Insurance companies and civil courts will not simply take your word that a driver was drunk. Instead, you must present evidence of the driver’s impairment, as well as evidence that impairment caused the accident and your resulting injuries. Although a criminal conviction for DUI can be used as evidence that a driver was drunk, you will still have to prove that your injuries occurred because of the accident and provide evidence of all your losses, both past and future.
More importantly, a skilled drunk driving accident attorney can help you prevail even when the drunk driver avoided a DUI conviction, although you will still need other types of evidence such as witness statements, police reports, and evidence establishing that the driver was drinking before the accident. An attorney can help identify, find, and develop the evidence necessary to your case.
The rules of evidence and civil procedure are extremely complicated, and mistakes can be detrimental to your claim. Even the insurance process can be complex, and insurance companies often try to persuade accident victims to accept less than fair compensation. In either situation, having the right law firm on your side can help ensure your best chances of full recovery.
After a drunk driving accident, Hasner Law can help clients in multiple ways including:
- Gathering and presenting evidence that the driver was drunk and should be held liable.
- Calculating and providing proof of your past and future estimated losses.
- Filing an insurance claim and handling every communication and negotiation with the adjuster.
- Filing a personal injury claim in civil court when needed to recover full and fair compensation from the at-fault driver.
Discuss Your Options With an Experienced Savannah Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer
If you have been in a drunk driving accident, it can be confusing and overwhelming to know when to take legal action and when to call an attorney. If your accident occurred in or near Savannah, Hasner Law is here to help. We will advocate for your legal rights and fight for your best possible recovery at every stage of your case. Please call us at 912-232-2334 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation today.
