Getting behind the wheel after drinking is one of the most dangerous things any driver can do. As if drunk driving wasn't bad enough, some intoxicated drivers try to evade responsibility for their actions by fleeing from the scene after causing an accident.

Sometimes, police are able to catch hit-and-run drunk drivers and bring them to justice.

One such case is currently playing out in the Georgia courts. An assistant principal at Booker T. Washington High School was charged this week with seven criminal violations stemming from her decision to flee the scene of two Atlanta drunk driving accidents on December 21.

The woman was allegedly driving drunk along Waterford Club Drive at approximately 3:30 a.m. when she crossed the center line, hit another vehicle and fled the scene. Then, she ran a red light at Highway 6 and Maxham Road, t-boned yet another vehicle, and again fled the scene. Ultimately, she lost control of her vehicle, jumped a curb and crashed into a fire hydrant.

The driver of the t-boned vehicle sustained serious injuries to his shoulder and knee. He may require corrective surgery.

Georgia Drunk Driving Accident Lawsuits

It is always satisfying when such a dangerous driver is brought to justice. However, criminal courts have little power to compensate accident victims for their injuries.

Instead, Georgia car crash victims are empowered to bring a lawsuit against the drunk driver in civil court. In those lawsuits, victims can recover for damages including past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages.

In some extraordinary cases, accident victims can also recover punitive damages. Punitive damages are not intended to compensate the victim for actual losses, but are instead intended to punish the drunk driver and deter future bad acts. Punitive damages are allowed when evidence shows that the defendant acted willfully, wantonly or with conscious indifference to the consequences of his or her actions.

If you have been the victim of a Georgia drunk driving accident, know that you have rights. Contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can help you pursue justice.

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution, "Atlanta Assistant Principal Charged in Hit-Run DUI Crash," David Ibata, Jan. 5, 2012