Can I Bring a Personal Injury Claim Against a Drunk Driver?

 Posted on July 28, 2022 in Car Accidents

Driving under the influence of alcohol leads to over 10,000 fatal accidents each year. Whether a driver assumed that he or she was sober enough to drive safely or simply does not care about the consequences of his or her actions, drunk driving is an extremely dangerous act. If you were hurt or a loved one was killed in a crash caused by a drunk driver, you may be able to bring a civil claim against the driver in the form of a personal injury claim or wrongful death claim. You may be able to recover financial compensation for both economic and non-economic damages resulting from the crash.

Civil Liability for a Drunk Driving Crash

If an intoxicated driver causes a crash in which someone is seriously hurt or killed, the driver will almost certainly face criminal charges for his or her actions. However, even if a drunk driver is convicted and put in jail, this does nothing to compensate victims for the losses they suffered. Fortunately, drunk driving accident victims may have recourse through the civil court system.

A personal injury claim is a claim used to pursue monetary compensation for damages. An injured person may be able to recover compensation for:

• Medical expenses resulting from the accident including ER and hospital bills, prescription medication costs, and future medical needs such as rehabilitative therapy
• Lost income from the time the injured person had to take off of work
• Lost earning potential caused by severe and disabling injuries
• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental and emotional suffering
• Disfigurement caused by injuries
• Lost quality of life
• Property damage including damage to the vehicle involved in the accident

If a person is killed in a crash caused by an intoxicated driver, the deceased person’s surviving family may be able to take legal action on his or her behalf. Monetary damages cannot reverse the grief and suffering experienced by the family, but they may help cover financial burdens including the victim’s lost income, funeral and burial expenses, and more.

Contact a Springfield Drunk Driver Injury Claim Attorney

If you or someone close to you was involved in a collision caused by a drunk driver, contact Kanoski Bresney for help. Our Champaign personal injury lawyers have seen first-hand how one person’s irresponsible decision to drunk drive can devastate an entire family. We are committed to helping drunk driving victims pursue justice. Call our office at 888-826-8682 for a free, no-obligation confidential consultation.

Source:

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/drunk-driving-statistics/