Introduction
A $1,050,000 dram shop settlement arising from a DUI collision involving a police officer, a $650,000 rear-end collision case that produced a brain injury, and a $285,000 motorcycle ankle surgery settlement represent three specific outcomes from the caseload of the Law Offices of Andrew E. Goldner, LLC. These numbers are not the largest ever obtained; they are specific results from a practice that Andrew Goldner built deliberately, starting with smaller cases before narrowing his focus exclusively to major injury claims. That progression shapes his current practice: he knows what smaller cases look like, and he has decided to handle something harder.
The Atlanta, Georgia firm operates from 1600 Parkwood Circle, Suite 330, Atlanta, GA 30339. Goldner has more than 15 years of experience. Most clients reach him through referrals from past clients and other attorneys, which is a form of professional validation that a marketing campaign cannot replicate. Georgia’s two-year statute of limitations for personal injury cases applies to the claims he handles, making early legal involvement important for preserving evidence and meeting legal deadlines.
Free consultations are available. Cases are handled on contingency. The phone number is (404) 869-1580. Full information is at andrewgoldner.com.
Practice Areas
Car Accidents
Automobile accident claims at this firm focus on major injuries. Georgia follows a modified comparative fault rule: a plaintiff can recover as long as they are less than 50 percent at fault, with their damages reduced by their percentage of fault. Insurance carriers defending these claims routinely argue for higher percentages of plaintiff fault to reduce the settlement value. Building a strong factual record of what happened, supported by accident reconstruction where warranted, counters those arguments.
Economic damages in major injury car accident cases include medical expenses (past and projected future), lost wages, and reduced earning capacity. Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In DUI-involved accidents, punitive damages may be available under Georgia law.
Truck Accidents
Commercial truck accident cases involve the federal regulatory framework for the trucking industry: hours-of-service compliance, maintenance records, driver qualification documentation, and black box data from the truck’s electronic logging device. This evidence must be preserved quickly because trucking companies often have legal teams that move rapidly to manage the evidence after a serious accident.
The weight differential between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles means that truck accident injuries tend to be severe: traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, multiple fractures, and fatalities. The damages calculations in these cases reflect that severity.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accident cases carry the same challenge they do in other jurisdictions: overcoming negative assumptions some jurors hold about riders. Goldner’s approach to these cases involves building a clear factual record of what the other vehicle did wrong and how the motorcycle rider’s conduct compared. The $285,000 ankle surgery settlement demonstrates the type of outcome achievable in serious injury motorcycle cases.
Child Injuries
Child injury cases require calculating damages differently than adult injury cases. Future medical expenses may extend over a longer period, lost earning capacity must be projected across an entire working life, and the impact on the child’s development and quality of life must be documented. These cases also carry significant emotional weight that, properly presented, reflects the full scope of the harm caused.
Slip and Fall
Premises liability slip and fall cases require establishing that a property owner or occupier had knowledge of the dangerous condition: or should have had knowledge: and failed to address it. In Georgia, the plaintiff must show that the defendant had superior knowledge of the hazard, which makes the investigation of notice critical: how long was the condition present, were there prior incidents, and what inspection procedures did the property owner follow?
Burn Injuries
Burn injury cases involve some of the most significant damages in personal injury law: extensive medical treatment including repeated surgeries, skin grafts, and rehabilitation; permanent disfigurement and scarring; and severe pain and suffering. The causes include vehicle fires, product defects, chemical exposure, and premises liability. Medical expert testimony on the nature of the injuries and the projected future treatment costs is essential to presenting the full scope of damages.
Wrongful Death
When a negligent act kills someone, Georgia law provides a cause of action for the surviving family members. The damages available under Georgia’s wrongful death statute include the full value of the deceased’s life, which incorporates both economic and non-economic components. A separate estate claim covers medical expenses incurred before death and funeral expenses.
Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accident injuries are among the most severe in personal injury practice. The combination of vehicle speed and the pedestrian’s complete lack of protection produces injuries that often include traumatic brain injury, spinal injuries, and multiple fractures. These cases typically involve clear questions of fault: a driver who failed to yield, ran a light, or was driving impaired.
Rideshare Accidents
Rideshare accident claims involving Uber and Lyft require analysis of which insurance policy applies based on the driver’s status within the app at the time of the accident. The coverage question directly affects the available limits and the claims process. Goldner handles rideshare accident cases for injured passengers and for other parties injured by rideshare drivers.
Commercial Vehicle and Transport Van Accidents
Commercial vehicle accidents beyond the standard trucking category include delivery vehicles, shuttle vans, and transport vehicles. Transport van accidents are specifically listed in the firm’s practice, reflecting the frequency with which vans transporting passengers: including medical transport, shuttle services, and similar operators: are involved in serious accidents.
Premises Liability
Premises liability encompasses the full range of property-owner duty to maintain safe conditions: slip and fall, inadequate security, swimming pool accidents, and other situations where a property owner’s failure to maintain the property caused harm. The dram shop settlement reflects a related area: Georgia’s dram shop law imposes liability on establishments that serve alcohol to visibly intoxicated persons who then cause injury.
Punitive Damages for DUI Under O.C.G.A. 51-12-5.1
Georgia law, under O.C.G.A. 51-12-5.1, allows punitive damages in cases involving drug or alcohol impairment, and notably, there is no cap on punitive damages when drugs or alcohol are involved. This provision significantly increases the potential recovery in DUI accident cases. The $1,050,000 dram shop settlement illustrates the type of case where this analysis applies: alcohol was served to a person who later caused a serious accident.
Attorney Profiles
Andrew E. Goldner
Andrew E. Goldner has practiced personal injury law in Atlanta, Georgia for more than 15 years. He built his practice by starting with smaller cases, gaining experience across the full range of injury scenarios, before focusing exclusively on major injury claims. That deliberate progression distinguishes him from attorneys who handle major injury cases as one portion of a general practice: he has concentrated his experience on the cases where the injuries are most serious and the stakes are highest.
The majority of his new clients come through referrals from past clients and other attorneys. Attorney referrals in particular reflect professional confidence: lawyers refer cases to attorneys they trust to handle them well, because their own reputation is connected to the referral.
Goldner pursues punitive damages where Georgia law permits them, including the uncapped punitive damages available under O.C.G.A. 51-12-5.1 when drugs or alcohol are involved. This aggressive stance on damages recovery reflects his practice focus on maximizing outcomes for seriously injured clients.
Location & Service Area
Office: 1600 Parkwood Circle, Suite 330, Atlanta, GA 30339
Phone: (404) 869-1580
Service area covers the Atlanta metropolitan area and extends statewide across Georgia. The Atlanta metro area includes Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton, and surrounding counties, representing the largest concentration of population in the state.
Client Focus
The firm’s referral-based client development reflects a practice built on results rather than advertising volume. When past clients refer friends and family, and when other attorneys refer cases, it signals consistent outcomes that justify the trust. For seriously injured clients: those facing permanent disability, extended medical treatment, or the death of a family member: finding an attorney who handles these cases as a specialty rather than as an occasional matter matters.
Georgia’s two-year statute of limitations for personal injury cases means time is a concrete constraint. Evidence that is available now may not be available later: surveillance footage is typically overwritten within days, electronic data from vehicles must be preserved with notice to the responsible party, and witnesses’ memories are more reliable closer to the event. Beginning the legal process promptly after a serious accident protects the ability to build the strongest possible case.
The contingency fee structure means clients pay nothing unless the case produces a recovery. For clients who are managing medical bills, lost income, and the financial disruption that follows a serious injury, the absence of upfront attorney fees removes one significant source of stress.
FAQ
What is the dram shop law in Georgia, and how did it apply in the $1,050,000 settlement?
Georgia’s dram shop law holds establishments liable when they serve alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person who then causes injury to a third party. In the case that produced the $1,050,000 settlement, an establishment served alcohol to an individual who was visibly intoxicated, that individual then caused a DUI collision involving a police officer, and the establishment shared legal liability for the resulting harm. The settlement amount reflects both the damages caused and the application of Georgia’s uncapped punitive damages provision for alcohol-involved accidents under O.C.G.A. 51-12-5.1.
Are there any caps on punitive damages in Georgia personal injury cases?
Georgia’s general punitive damages cap is $250,000. However, under O.C.G.A. 51-12-5.1, that cap does not apply when the defendant acted under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In DUI accident cases and cases involving drug impairment, punitive damages are uncapped. This distinction significantly affects the potential recovery in alcohol- and drug-involved injury cases.
What is Georgia’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims?
Georgia has a two-year statute of limitations for most personal injury claims. The two-year period generally runs from the date of the injury. Claims not filed within two years are typically barred, regardless of their merits. There are narrow exceptions: including the discovery rule for latent injuries and claims involving minor children: but waiting on the assumption that an exception will apply is a significant risk.
Does the firm handle cases where the injury was caused by a rideshare driver?
Yes. The firm handles rideshare accident cases involving Uber, Lyft, and other platforms. The coverage analysis in rideshare cases differs from standard automobile claims because the applicable insurance depends on whether the driver was logged into the app, had accepted a ride request, or was driving without a passenger at the time of the accident.
How does the firm’s referral-based practice affect how it handles cases?
Most of the firm’s new clients come through referrals from past clients and other attorneys. That client development model creates a direct incentive to produce outcomes that justify referrals: satisfied clients refer others, and attorneys who refer cases expect those cases to be handled competently. The referral basis of the practice reflects accumulated results rather than marketing investment.
Closing
Fifteen-plus years building from smaller cases to a practice focused exclusively on major injury claims, results including a seven-figure dram shop settlement and substantial recoveries in brain injury and motorcycle cases, and a client base built primarily on referrals from past clients and other attorneys: these are the markers of Andrew Goldner’s Atlanta personal injury practice. Georgia’s uncapped punitive damages provision for alcohol and drug-involved accidents adds a dimension to DUI-related claims that few attorneys exploit as aggressively. For serious injury cases in Atlanta and across Georgia, reach the firm at (404) 869-1580 or andrewgoldner.com. Office: 1600 Parkwood Circle, Suite 330, Atlanta, GA 30339.