If you have a question you would like for me to answer, or if you would like to speak with me regarding a potential claim, please pick up the phone and give us a call right now. (770) 934-8000.
Here’s one easy thing you can do right now. Take out your cell phone and enter my number in as one of your contacts (770) 934-8000.
Auto Wrecks – Punitive Damages
Now let’s go to a question from one of our viewers:
Gary – Let me tell you about something that happened to my wife last week. And I have to admit, I am really mad about this.
My wife had just picked up our oldest daughter from a friend’s home where they were working on a project for school. They were at the stop sign about to exit the subdivision when a driver lost control of his car when he tried to turn into the subdivision. He apparently was going too fast when he realized he was about to miss his turn.
He crashed into the driver’s side of our mini-van. My wife’s left arm is broken, and she and my daughter were cut up from the flying glass.
What angers me is the driver that hit my wife and daughter was drunk. The officer told us this was that man’s second DUI in the last 3 years.
How can we teach this man a lesson – that you don’t drink and drive? He could have killed my wife and daughter? And do we need a lawyer? -Mason in Forest Park
Video
Please know they are in our thoughts and prayers and we certainly wish them all the best as they recover from their injuries.
Let me bring in Philip Milam, the managing attorney for our personal injury department, to discuss the legal aspects of your case.
It angers me whenever a person has too much to drink and then drive on our highways.
Gary: Philip, you are right!
I co-authored a chapter about this very subject in the best-selling book “Consumer’s Advocate” entitled “The Mourning After: Helping Families Cope After A Drunk Driving Wreck.”
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12 oz. of beer = 5 oz. of wine = 1.5 oz. of liquor
-All these drinks contain the same amount of alcohol
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A driver’s impairment is not determined by the type of drink, but rather by the amount of alcohol ingested over a specific time period.
The average person metabolizes alcohol at the rate of about one drink per hour.
Gary: That is hard to imagine. 1 in 3 will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime.
Well let’s answer Mason’s question.
Philip:
And the two words I’d tell him we would go after – Compensation and Punishment.
Philip: By compensation, we would pursue damages against the defendant to compensate Mason’s wife and his daughter for the following:
* Their injuries
* Their medical expenses
Gary: Now let’s talk about punishment.
Philip:
The district attorney or the solicitor will be pursuing the criminal charges against the defendant for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Certainly, we will cooperate with them in the investigation and assist in any way we can.
Gary:
Philip: These are damages the law allows us to pursue to PUNISH a defendant for their bad conduct, and to DETER the defendant from repeating the bad conduct.
Because the defendant caused the wreck while driving under the influence of alcohol, Georgia law allows us to seek punitive damages.
Gary:
When we come back, I’d like for you and I to talk more about Mason’s question.
I want us to let him know how we would investigate the claim and represent his family against the drunk driver.
Philip: I’d be happy to hang around.
Gary: We’ll take that break but let me stress to you.
Our legal professionals are standing by right now to take your call.
If you would like to speak with my law firm about your claim, we make it easy for you.
Just pick up the phone right now and give us a call at (770) 934-8000.
And stay tuned for more of “Do I Need A Lawyer”
We’ll be right back.
Car Accident Injury Law
