If you find yourself a victim of a DUI accident, you are not alone. According to the Century Council, an association of distillers nationwide committed to reducing drinking and driving, as of 2010 there have been 28,712 arrests in the State of Georgia for DUI. More shocking is the number of drivers under the age of 18 arrested for DUI totals 229. As of a 2008- 2009 survey, nearly one in four (24.2 percent) of underage operators have admitted to drinking alcohol in the past month and almost one in seven (14.9%) have admitted to binge drinking in the past month.
No matter the type of DUI Accident you may have experienced in Gwinnett County, contact a victims of drunk driving PI attorney at Shane Smith Law. Speaking with a DUI accident attorney will let you know all of your legal rights and make sure you receive justice.
Victims of drunk driving accidents are not only innocent drivers and passengers. Other victims too often include pedestrians walking on the sidewalk or crossing an intersection; motorcyclists sharing the roads; and bicyclists.
Georgia State law does not tolerate drunk driving at any level and provides progressively strict penalties. Initial drunk driving offenders must undergo drug and alcohol evaluation. Other penalties for a DUI Accident include:
- Obligatory jail time.
- License re-instatement fees.
- License suspension.
- Community service.
For repeat offenders there are increased penalties which include larger fines, license suspension periods, and jail terms. Underage operators have a lower threshold to be found guilty of drunk driving and face tougher penalties on their first offense through Georgia’s zero-tolerance laws.
According to research from the Century Council, DUI accident victims are often involved in deadly drunk driving accidents in Gwinnett County with repeat DUI offenders. Nearly 1 in 5 (20.7 percent) innocent victims have died when they were struck by operators with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level between 0.08 and 0.14. The vast majority of the innocent victims killed come from repeat DUI offenders that have blood alcohol content of 0.15 or more.
No matter where the DUI Accident you were involved took place, in Peachtree city, in Fayette County or anywhere else in Georgia, contact the Shane Smith Law for a free legal consultation for to discuss your legal rights at (980) 246-2656. Then, read Shane Smith Law’s I Was Hit By A Drunk Driver: What Do I Do Next? guide.