Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys in Macon

How Fault & Insurance Can Shape a Georgia DUI Claim

Georgia uses modified comparative negligence, which accounts for each party’s share of responsibility. An injured person may recover damages when they’re less than 50% at fault, but the recovery is reduced by their assigned percentage of fault. At 50% fault or more, recovery is generally barred.

An injured passenger may pursue a claim after riding with an impaired driver. Georgia’s fault rules may affect the claim if evidence shows that the passenger shared responsibility for the harm. Evaluating a passenger’s claim requires a close review of what the passenger knew, what occurred before the trip, and how the collision happened.

Georgia Minimum Liability Insurance

Georgia drivers must carry minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. These are minimum limits, not a statement of how much coverage is available in a particular case. Each applicable policy and its terms must be reviewed individually.

Potential Dram Shop Liability

Dram shop liability refers to a potential civil claim against an alcohol seller or social host under limited circumstances. Georgia’s Dram Shop Act may apply when someone knowingly serves alcohol to a person under 21 or to a noticeably intoxicated person whom the provider knows will soon be driving. A bar, restaurant, seller, or host isn’t automatically liable simply because alcohol was served before a crash.

Georgia’s Deadline for Filing an Injury Lawsuit

Under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, Georgia personal injury lawsuits generally must be filed within two years of the injury. The correct deadline depends on the type of claim, the parties involved, and other case-specific circumstances.

Shorter deadlines, exceptions, and different rules may apply. Claims involving government entities can require notice before the general two-year period expires. Anyone considering a claim after a serious DUI accident should have the applicable deadline evaluated promptly rather than assume the general rule controls.