Georgia Drunk Driving Accident Attorney

• Taking care of yourself should always be your priority. You should seek medical treatment immediately if you’re involved in a drunk driving accident.
• Document all your injuries, treatments, and medical bills, which will be essential for seeking compensation.
• Ensure that you file an accident report with the authorities. They will officially document the crime and crucial evidence needed for your lawsuit. For instance, a police officer may administer a breathalyzer test to the drunk driver. Otherwise, their blood alcohol content may be tested at the hospital.
• You can also document evidence of lost wages or any other pain and suffering.
• The next step is to contact a Monge & Associates attorney. They can help you by taking over all the stress and start working to build your case.

You likely have a case if you were not at fault in the crash and can prove the other driver was. Often, it’s enough that the other driver was intoxicated at the time of the crash, but any additional information will strengthen your case.

For example, they would be liable if the other driver ran a red light, failed to yield, didn’t look before merging, or violated traffic laws. If you caused the accident, you would be liable even if the other driver was intoxicated.

If you aren’t sure you have a case, our team at Monge & Associates will help you figure it out. First, we’ll tell you if you have a case and how much your case is worth.

In Georgia, the statute of limitations on a DUI is two years, meaning a prosecutor has two years to file formal charges.

However, it’s often a good idea to file as soon as you know you have a case. The legal process can take some time, and you will probably want to receive the compensation you deserve as soon as possible.

However, you can file anytime within those two years.

The lawyers at Monge & Associates get paid a contingency fee, which is a portion of the payout you receive upon winning your settlement.

If we don’t win your case, we don’t get paid. So, no money will come out of your pocket!

After paying to fix the damages resulting from an accident, it’s natural to worry about money.

However, Monge & Associates attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means they get paid a portion of the settlement you receive.

So if we don’t win your case, you don’t owe us anything.

Not necessarily! In many instances, these cases are settled outside of a trial. Your Monge & Associates attorney will contact the other party and their lawyer and help you negotiate a settlement.

It’s also possible that your case may have a motion filed, which can dismiss all or parts of the case.

The goal of any suit is to get you compensation for all damages from the accident. Some types of damages are easy to see, such as vehicular or property damage, or the injuries you and/or passengers sustained.

However, a lawyer can help you determine if there are other damages you may receive.

For example, if your injuries forced you to take time off work to recover, you may be able to get compensation for the wages you lost. There is also a formula that attorneys can use to calculate pain and suffering damages.

No amount of money will compensate for the suffering you experienced, but it can give you some comfort and compensation while you recover.

The legal system uses a formula that involves multiplying damages by a number between one and five, depending on the severity of your injuries.

Your Monge & Associates attorney can help you figure out what compensation you are entitled to, as well as how much you may be able to receive.

The length of the process varies from case to case. But generally, the less money at stake and the more issues you can resolve before the trial, the quicker things will move along. 

Here are the main steps involved in a drunk driving lawsuit:

• A complaint is filed, which is a legal document declaring the claims that the plaintiff (the one doing the suing) has against the defendant (the one being sued). The complaint is usually accompanied by a summons, which is an order to appear before a judge.
• The civil action must be commenced in one of two ways, depending on where it was filed. In some states and in a federal court, filing the complaint and summons will initiate the action. In other states, the paperwork must be served. Georgia is one of the states where papers must be served.
• The defendant has a certain amount of time to answer the complaint. This answer lays out any portions of the complaint that the defendant admits to, what defenses they have, and if they have claims against the plaintiff or other parties.
• The court can enter a default judgment if the defendant doesn’t answer. If they do respond and they have a counterclaim against the plaintiff or name a third party, the plaintiff and/or the third party also have a certain amount of time to answer.
• The parties involved in the suit exchange relevant documents and information in a process called discovery. This process can take three forms: written questions, which must be answered under oath, document production, or depositions, which are sworn statements taken in front of a court reporter or other court officer. A deposition statement must be formally transcribed.
• It’s possible that a settlement may be reached between the parties. Usually, the court is either involved informally or not involved at all. There are a few options, such as negotiation and mediation, where a neutral third party helps the plaintiff and defendant come to an agreement.
• One or both parties may try to get rid of the case or portions of it by filing motions. These motions usually intend to show that the issues are not in dispute for one reason or another.
• If no agreement is reached, either by settling or filing motions, the case will go to trial.

These steps take some time, and how long they take can vary depending on who is involved. Your Monge & Associates attorney can help guide you through the process and ensure you understand the steps and the timeline.