36 Year Sentence Sends Message Regarding Hit-and-Run Accidents in Fulton County Georgia

Aimee Michael was convicted and sentenced to 36 years in prison for causing a chain reaction crash on Easter Sunday that killed five people in Fulton County, Georgia. Michael's punishment was much more severe because she fled the scene of the fatal accident and then engaged in a pattern of conduct designed to cover-up the fatal auto accident. At the sentencing hearing, the Fulton County judge specifically identified the fact that she fled the scene of the accident as a fact he could not get out of his mind when trying to determine her sentence.

Any Georgia auto accident that results in serious injuries or fatalities is devastating to the victim and the victim's family, but hit-and-run accidents pose additional challenges in obtaining compensation for the damage that has been caused. At Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, we have been representing those seriously injured or killed by hit-and-run drivers throughout Georgia for over 39 years.

When the driver of a car, truck or SUV is involved in an accident, a driver needs to stop, exchange insurance information, seek medical care for anyone who has been injured, and remain on the scene until the police arrive. When a driver involved in a Georgia hit-and-run fails to fulfill these responsibilities, it can lead to more serious injuries or even the death of an accident victim whose life could be saved with immediate medical assistance. A driver who flees an accident scene where someone is injured faces both civil and criminal liability.

In a hit-and-run accident, we work to identify the driver who caused the accident. Following a hit-and-run car crash, it is important to interview witnesses and preserve and carefully review evidence including red-light camera recordings and other video evidence. If the driver who left the scene can be identified, he or she can be held accountable. A hit-and-run driver can be liable for the damages resulting from the accident, including medical bills and rehabilitative costs, lost wages and decreased earning capacity, pain and suffering, loss of consortium (loss of services or companionship from a spouse or sometimes child), and funeral costs in the event of a fatal accident. Georgia juries are not very sympathetic to hit-and-run drivers so they may also award significant punitive damages in a lawsuit involving a hit-and-run auto accident.

Even where the other driver cannot be identified, Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, can help you seek compensation from your own insurance carrier if you have uninsured motorist coverage (UM). Drivers in Georgia have UM unless they expressly opt out of this coverage. Many insurance companies drag their feet or treat an insured unfairly when an insured makes a UM claim. Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, will represent your interest when dealing with your insurance company to make sure you receive the compensation to which you are entitled.

At Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, we have been helping Georgia auto accident victims for over 39 years, including victims of hit-and-run drivers. If you have been involved in a car crash with a hit-and-run driver, we can help. Our Georgia auto accident lawyers are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Dalton, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. Call us today for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333), or visit us on the web at www.montlick.com. No matter where you are in Georgia, we are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you.