Driver Surrenders Himself on Charges of Serious Injury by Vehicle in Georgia

A few months ago, I covered a news story about a moped driver who was hit and seriously injured in an accident in Cobb County.

Authorities have reported that a man surrendered himself to the Cobb County police yesterday. He is facing charges of serious injury by vehicle and reckless driving in Georgia.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I am well-versed in the law with all offenses related to DUI in Georgia. One of these serious traffic violations is known as serious injury by vehicle, and I will elaborate on the law in the section below.

Serious Injury by Vehicle in Georgia

In O.C.G.A. § 40-6-394, serious injury by vehicle in Georgia is defined 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.

The Serious Injury by Vehicle statute does not define what constitutes a “serious injury.”  Other statutes define it as a “fractured bone, severe burns, disfigurement, dismemberment, partial or total loss of sight or hearing, or loss of consciousness.”  To be “serious,” the injury need not be permanent – a serious, temporary injury is sufficient and only needs to impair or injure the appearance of a person. 

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 “serious.”  Whether an injury is serious is a question of fact to be determined by the jury.

Practice Note

Serious injury by vehicle is one of the most serious traffic violations that a person can be charged with in the state of Georgia - other than vehicular homicide.

We specialize in DUI Defense and that means we also focus on all criminal offenses related to DUI. If you or a loved one has been arrested, do not hesitate to call our offices now.