Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers in Marietta

Your civil claim stands apart from the criminal case

When a drunk driver is arrested, the criminal case that follows is about punishing the driver, not about compensating you. Even a conviction does not pay your medical bills or replace your lost income. Your right to recovery runs through a separate civil claim that you control, and it can move forward regardless of what happens in the criminal court. We handle that civil claim and use the criminal proceeding, including any conviction, to strengthen it.

Punitive damages the statutory cap does not limit

Georgia allows punitive damages to punish especially reckless conduct, and driving drunk is among the clearest examples. Ordinarily Georgia caps punitive damages, but under O.C.G.A. Section 51-12-5.1 that cap does not apply when the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. That makes a drunk driving case different from an ordinary crash, and we pursue the full measure of damages the driver's choice exposes them to.

When the bar or host that over-served shares fault

Fault does not always rest with the driver alone. Georgia's dram shop law, O.C.G.A. Section 51-1-40, allows a bar, restaurant, or social host that knowingly serves a noticeably intoxicated person, or a minor, and then lets them get behind the wheel to share responsibility for the crash that follows. Identifying an over-serving establishment can open an important additional source of recovery, and we investigate where the driver was drinking before the crash.

Georgia's deadline and shared-fault rule

A drunk driving injury claim in Georgia generally must be filed within two years under O.C.G.A. Section 9-3-33, and the state's fifty percent rule under O.C.G.A. Section 51-12-33 reduces or bars recovery based on your share of fault. Even against a drunk driver an insurer may try to shift some blame onto you. We use the evidence, including the driver's impairment, to keep the responsibility where it belongs.

Serious injuries and the care behind them

Drunk driving crashes are often high-speed and head-on, and they cause catastrophic injuries treated at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center in Marietta, a Level I trauma center. We document the full arc of care, including the surgeries and rehabilitation still ahead, so the claim reflects the real and lasting cost of another person's reckless decision to drive impaired.

Serving drunk driving victims across Cobb County

We represent people injured by impaired drivers throughout Marietta and the surrounding region, handling claims across Cobb, Cherokee, Paulding, Bartow, and Fulton counties, and in communities including Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Powder Springs, Austell, Roswell, and Sandy Springs. Wherever the crash happened in northwest metro Atlanta, we are ready to help.

Talk to a Marietta drunk driving accident lawyer

If a drunk driver injured you or took someone you love, call (844) 876-4357 for a free case review, or reach us through our contact page. You owe us no fee at all unless we recover money for you.

Speak with a Marietta drunk driving accident attorney

Being hurt by a drunk driver is not an accident, it is the result of someone's reckless choice, and Georgia law lets you hold them fully accountable. If it happened in Cobb County, call us at (844) 876-4357 for a free case review. We work on contingency, so you pay us nothing unless we recover.

Common questions

If the drunk driver is already being prosecuted, do I still need my own claim?

Yes. The criminal case punishes the driver but does not compensate you for your injuries, lost income, or pain. Only a civil claim, which you control, can recover that. The two run separately, and a conviction in the criminal case can actually help prove your civil claim.

Can the bar that kept serving the driver be held liable?

Possibly. Under Georgia's dram shop law, a bar, restaurant, or host that knowingly serves someone already visibly intoxicated, or a minor, and then allows them to drive can share the blame for the crash. We investigate where and how much the driver was drinking to find every responsible party.

What does it cost to hire a Marietta drunk driving accident lawyer?

Nothing to start. We handle these cases on a contingency fee, so the consultation is free and there is no attorney fee unless we recover money for you.