Jonesboro DUI Injury Lawyer

Jonesboro, Georgia DUI Injury Lawyer

$140,000 

Recovered After Trailer Detached From SUV

$250,000

Broken Chair at an Atlanta Hotel

$1,250,000

Truck Accident Policy Limits Recovery

Not sure we can help? Concerned about cost? 

The Millar Law Firm is a well-known respected injury and accident law office serving Jonesboro, Clayton County and all of South Atlanta. We have convenient locations in South Atlanta (Jonesboro, GA) and Atlanta-Buckhead. 

If coming to one of our offices is inconvenient for you, we can arrange an Uber or Lyft at no cost, you can reach out through our website or we can come to you! 

Free Consultations 

The Millar Law Firm offers a free no risk consultation on your case. 

You deserve to know all of your options, so our experienced attorneys can help you find the best way forward. We work with victims in order make this process easy and painless for everyone involved! 
You’ll be able take advantage legal rights without worry or confusion on what is deserved by each party as well any tools needed at trial – everything will become clear during consultation which begins when we meet one-on one until my team has outlined every aspect related injury case specifics including value considerations where applicable

Our Singular Focus: Helping Injured Accident Victims 

The Millar Law Firm only takes personal injury cases. This means we are injury specialists, experienced at getting the highest possible compensation for our clients. Unlike many of our competitors, we do not defend drunk drivers one day, and represent their victims the next. 

Criminal penalties under DUI laws are not enough to fully compensate you and your family. You and your family may be entitled to compensation above and beyond the criminal liability imposed upon drunk drivers. Such compensation is recoverable in a civil claim. Compensation can include things like payment of medical bills and money for car repairs or replacements, compensation for pain and suffering and punitive damages (to punish the drunk driver). 

night time in ATL

Established in 1993: Over A Quarter-Century of Legal Experience 

We have a deep understanding of the intricacies and nuances of the Metro-Atlanta and Clayton County court systems. Put twenty-seven years of experience to work for you. 

There are few situations or defenses we have not faced before in a DUI injury case. Extensive preparation and hard work is the key to success. We do the work, investigate the case, and track down evidence, including the drunk driver’s criminal history and whether there are any third-party claims against the providers of alcohol or other intoxicating substances. 

The injuries you or your loved ones face when you are the victim of a drunk driving accident can be both short-term and long-term. Whiplash, broken or fractured bones, and concussions are difficult enough to endure. Long-term and permanent injuries such as brain damage, loss of the use of a limb, or the complete loss of limb are absolutely life changing. You and your family deserve to have the best advocates in your corner when seeking compensation. 

Previous Clients Love Us 

Do not take our word for it. Read the reviews left by former clients who routinely refer their friends and family to our law firm. They trust us to take care of their cases with compassion and conviction. For twenty-seven years we have focused on providing the best customer service possible for anyone who walks through our door. We strive to make the process of pursuing your DUI personal injury case as hassle-free as possible so that you can focus on recovery and moving forward. 

We Don’t Get Paid Until You Do 

The Millar Law Firm works on a contingency fee basis. This means that you owe us nothing upfront or during the pursuit of your case. We only get paid once your case has reached a settlement or gotten a jury verdict. If your case does not reach a settlement or get a jury verdict, you owe us nothing! 

This does not mean that we settle for any amount. Our cases are settled or taken to trial only with your full approval or settlement authority. Ensuring that you and your loved ones are satisfied and receive the most compensation possible is our mission. 

drunk driver devastated

Drunk Driving: A Serious Act of Negligence 

Drunk drivers put others at risk for serious injury or death by driving while under the influence. Such behavior is unacceptable and there must be consequences. 

This criminal behavior can help determine negligence in a civil lawsuit. A guilty plea for the criminal ramifications of drunk driving can be extremely helpful as it establishes a legal admission that a person was driving under the influence and therefore opens them up to civil liability for any injuries they cause. In addition, multiple parties such as bars or restaurants, or even companies that provide alcohol at a special event, can sometimes be found negligent in a DUI injury case. This means investigating all parties involved, and holding them accountable so that you and your family may be more fairly compensated for your injuries. 

Georgia has a DUI Problem, and Injury Lawsuits Can Help Alleviate It. 

Impaired drivers—whether under the influence of drugs or alcohol—are not thinking clearly and do not consider the risk they are putting others in when they get behind the wheel. 

Designated Drivers Can Save Lives

Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is inexcusable. People have a duty to others to drink responsibly. This responsibility can include ensuring that a designated driver is in the group. 

Choosing to drive while intoxicated is especially egregious given the rise of rideshare apps such as Uber and Lyft, which along with taxi services give a safe affordable alternative to driving after consumption of drugs or alcohol. The average cost of a Lyft ride was $19.20 in 2017; the average Uber ride cost $25.73 and the average taxi ride cost $29.52. All of these services can pick up an inebriated person and deliver them to their preferred location quickly and safely. 

These alternatives cost far less time and money than the legal and financial burden a drunk driver should face after causing injury in a drunk driving accident. There is no excuse for such behavior when these alternatives exist and are so readily available. 

We believe that when the consequences of negligent and criminal activity are more severe; people are less likely to engage in the behavior. This can be true of drunk driving. Holding drunk drivers financially responsible for the damage they cause by recklessly endangering others, including you and your loved ones, discourages future drinking and driving. Protecting your rights can also enhance the safety of others in our community. 

Georgia has several laws and statutes in place to help protect victims of drunk drivers. The Dram Shop Act, for example, makes it illegal for someone to sell, furnish, or serve alcohol to someone who is either under the legal drinking age or in a “noticeable state of intoxication knowing that that person will soon be driving a motor vehicle” (O.C.G.A. § 51-1-40). 

If a person is found to have sold, served, or furnished alcohol under those circumstances, they may be held liable for any resulting death or injury. This means that if a bar or other restaurant establishment serves alcohol to a person they know to be intoxicated, they may be liable to pay the victim or their loved ones for any injury or death resulting from a subsequent drunk driving accident by that person. 

In Georgia there is a two-year (24 month) statute of limitations for drunk driving accidents. Strictly speaking, this means that in order to be compensated for your injuries you must file a case within two years or 24 months of the drunk driving accident. However, there can be an exception to this two-year time limit. Georgia’s appellate courts have ruled that the two-year statute of limitations cannot begin while the DUI and possible other related charges (including traffic tickets) are still pending. This means that your two years may be extended while the criminal case is pending. 

It is imperative to seek legal counsel from an attorney who can help walk you through the complicated process surrounding DUI injury claims. If you miscalculate the amount of time you have left on your claim and attempt to file once the statute of limitations has expired, you may lose your right to compensation. 

Under the Official Code of Georgia Annotated Section 9-3-99, the statute of limitations for a victim of a drunk driving accident is tolled until all of the prosecution relating to the drunk driving accident is complete. This means that the statute of limitations is paused until all of the criminal charges prosecuted by the state related to the accident have been concluded. The statute of limitations can be paused under Section 9-3-99 for up to six years (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-99). 

However, it is essential that you act quickly after a drunk driving accident to protect you and your loved ones because if you miscalculate the time remaining in the statute of limitations on your case, you can lose the ability to file a claim and be compensated for your injuries. 

Drivers Intoxicated by Some Other Drug 

You likely have a case even if the driver was intoxicated not by alcohol but by some other drug. Georgia DUI laws apply to drugged driving as well as drunk driving. It is against the law to drive while under the influence of alcohol, illicit drugs, prescription medications, or over-the-counter drugs. Liability for a drunk driving accident can be established against a driver under the influence of a wide range of substances, including: 

  • illegal drugs or controlled substances such as marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, or ecstasy; 
  • prescription medications such as pain medications or antihistamines, which can cause drowsiness; 
  • over-the-counter drugs or medications, including allergy medications, which are also known to cause drowsiness; or 
  • any glue, aerosol, or other toxic substance that can be huffed, which can cause a euphoric high. 

George’s laws are strict and make it illegal for a driver to have any marijuana or other illicit drug in their system, evidence of which is found in their blood or urine. The use of any of the above substances—including those that are otherwise legal—become illegal when they cause the driver to be less safe when driving a vehicle. Cases have shown that even an herbal supplement which adversely affects the driver can be grounds for a DUI. 

Highway sign reads: report drunk drivers - Call nine-one-one

Compensation Available in a Georgia Impaired Driving Injury Claim 

DUI (impaired) driving accident injury lawyers can recover the types of compensation you would expect from a personal injury claim, but also additional damages to punish and deter future drunk driving. Damages include: 

  • payment of medical bills, 
  • compensation for emotional distress and/or pain and suffering, 
  • payment of car repairs or car replacement, 
  • replacement of lost income, 
  • and in the case of a wrongful death, payment to cover burial and funeral expenses and future income and enjoyment of life; and 
  • Punitive damages. 

Georgia drunk driving accidents include punitive damages, which are meant to punish and deter “willful misconduct, wantonness, and [an] entire want of care.” Notably, drunk driving injury cases include an exception to Georgia’s $250,000 punitive damages cap. Because the State of Georgia considers drunk driving a willful and dangerous act, it falls under the exception to this rule. This means that there is no limit or cap to the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded in a drunk driving case. 

night time in ATL

Experience and Focus: The Personal Injury Cases Handled by Our Jonesboro Attorneys

We Handle Your DUI Accident Case on A Contingency Fee 

The Millar Law Firm handles drunk driving accident cases on a contingent fee, meaning that our legal services cost you nothing unless we win your case. 

Call us today for your free, no-risk consultation and let the Millar Law Firm put our years of experience to work for you!