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Car Accidents – Punitive Damages
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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.
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
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Let me bring in Philip Milam, the managing attorney for our personal injury department, to discuss the legal aspects of your case.
Philip, thanks for being here.
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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The average person metabolizes alcohol at the rate of about one drink per hour.
Philip: Gary, let me give you and our viewers some more sobering statistics:
* Almost every 90 seconds, a drunk driver injures a victim in a car crash.
Gary: That is hard to imagine. 1 in 3 will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime.
Philip: Yes, I highly recommend him getting a lawyer right away.
And the two words I’d tell him we would go after – Compensation and Punishment.
Gary: Explain what you mean by 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
* Prescription charges
* Any lost wages
Gary: Now let’s talk about punishment.
Philip: Ok, but let’s break this up into two areas – criminal and civil.
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.
We will go after the Defendant driver for punitive damages.
Gary: And what are “punitive damages”?
Philip:
Because the defendant caused the wreck while driving under the influence of alcohol, Georgia law allows us to seek punitive damages.
Gary: Philip, we are heading into a break.
When we come back, I’d like for you and I to talk more about Mason’s question.
Can you hang in there for a couple of moments?
Philip: I’d be happy to hang around.
Gary:
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.
And stay tuned for more of “Do I Need A Lawyer”
We’ll be right back.
Car Accident Injury Law
