While any driver who climbs behind the wheel while intoxicated places other drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians and even passengers in the intoxicated driver’s own vehicle in danger, there are sometimes cases that are shocking, even for an experienced auto accident attorney.

A Clayton County woman was cited for DUI when she plowed into a family picnic area wiping out two picnic tables while driving with a blood alcohol level of .392%, which is an appallingly high level that amounts to five times the legal limit. After plowing into the picnic area, the drunk driver then reportedly drove under a fence, through a ditch and then the wrong way on Ga. 42 before crashing into the stairs of the property’s leasing office.

Drunk drivers are responsible for a completely unacceptable toll in serious injuries, wrongful death and staggering medical and property costs. A few statistics from studies compiled by MADD provide a more complete picture of the problem:

  • Every minute around the clock a drunk driver injures another person.
  • One in three drivers will be involved in an alcohol-related accident during their lifetime.
  • A person is killed in a drunk driving accident in the U.S. every fifty minutes.
  • Drunk driving costs every U.S. citizen $500 per year.

There are many forms of negligent or reckless conduct that can lead to Georgia car accidents, but drunk driving is particularly avoidable. Those who drive with five times the legal limit recklessly put others at risk. While anyone can make a mistake, this is not typically the situation with drunk drivers that cause serious injuries or fatalities in drunk driving accidents. The typical person arrested for DUI has driven under the influence of drugs or alcohol 87 times before they are arrested for the first time.

DUI penalties also are fairly inadequate at deterring drunk driving. Though a drunk driver will typically face a license suspension, 50-75 percent of drivers who have had their license suspended continue to drive after the suspension according to a study conducted on behalf of the Transportation Research Board. While a driver who has a repeated pattern of driving under the influence of alcohol or drives with extremely high BAC may be liable for substantial punitive damages, this is little consolation for such tragedies as the accident victim who can no longer walk again after being paralyzed or the parent that loses their child in a Georgia car accident with a drunk driver.

Our experienced Atlanta DUI accident attorneys have been representing the victims of drunk drivers on Georgia streets and highways for over 39 years. We understand that a personal injury judgment against a drunk driver who causes serious injury to you or your loved one cannot take away your pain or loss, but it can provide the financial means to aid your recovery and provide the financial support to improve an accident victim’s quality of life.