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Cherokee County Deputy Hospitalized After Police Chase

Posted by Richard Lawson | Jan 01, 2020 | 0 Comments

A Cherokee County officer is on the mend after being seriously injured after a police chase resulted in a car accident.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I will outline the law behind serious injury by vehicle as the driverĀ  who was the subject of the chase is most likely facing several different charges.

Serious Injury by VehicleĀ in Georgia

Serious injury by vehicle in GeorgiaĀ is defined in the Georgia Code inĀ O.C.G.A. Ā§40-6-394Ā as:

Whoever, without malice, shall cause bodily harm to another by depriving him of a member of his body, by rendering a member of his body useless, by seriously disfiguring his body or a member thereof, or by causing organic brain damage which renders the body or any member thereof useless through the violation of Code Section 40-6-390 or 40-6-391 shall be guilty of the crime of serious injury by vehicle. A person convicted under this Code section shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than 15 years.

This law does not define what constitutes a serious injury, so in these situations, we have to look to other sources within the Georgia Code. Other Georgia laws define it as a ā€œfractured bone, severe burns, disfigurement, dismemberment, partial or total loss of sight or hearing, or loss of consciousness.ā€ Ā To be considered serious, the injury does not need to be permanent. Instead, a serious, temporary injury is sufficient and only needs to impair or injure a person's appearance.Ā 

In the past, injuries such as loss of vision in one eye, blurry vision, a two-inch scar on the forehead, broken ribs, and severe bruising have qualified as ā€œserious.ā€Ā  Whether an injury is serious is a question of fact to be determined by the jury.

Serious injury by vehicle is classified as a felony offense. The penalty if convicted of serious injury by vehicle can include up to 15 years in prison.

Practice Note

If you or a loved one has been arrested, contact our offices now.

About the Author

Richard Lawson

Managing Partner at Lawson & Berry:

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