Sacramento Drunk Driving Injury Lawyer
If you have caused an accident and injured someone while driving drunk, you are not at the right website. Neither, our website or our lawyers can help you. The following information is intended for the victims of a drunk driving accident. These are the people we help.
Dealing with injuries from car accidents is upsetting enough. It is even more agonizing when caused by a drunk driver. The physical pain coupled with the anger of knowing someone caused your injuries while driving drunk can easily consume a person.
Drunk Driving Statistics
Each year, Americans take over 230 billion rides in their car. Of that, around one out of every 2,000 car rides are driven by someone who has been drinking or is under the influence. About one in every three car accidents involve drinking and driving. Thus, a small amount of poor behavior results in being one of the leading causes of death on our roads.
Someone is killed in a drunk driving accident on average every 53 minutes (in 2011, the total number of people killed was 9,787). Statistics show that every two minutes, an injury happens to someone that could have been prevented.
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
Driving under the Influence (DUI) in California is defined like this. The law states it is illegal in California for a motorist to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) percentage of: 0.08% or above― for those age 21 years old an over, operating a regular passenger vehicle. The BAC is 0.04% or higher―for those operating a commercial vehicle
What do I do if I Have Been Injured in an Accident Caused by a Drunk Driver?
If you have been hurt from an accident caused by a driver that was drunk, you are entitled to seek compensation from the drunk driver. It is important to contact an experienced drunk driving injury lawyer as soon as possible. Your claim will be a civil case and not a criminal one. Whether the local district attorney filed the criminal charges for the driver or the prosecutor did, you still will not be able to receive compensation for your injuries from the criminal case.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim
When one files a civil case against the driver that was drunk, they are pursuing a financial amount to compensate for injuries and other damages resulting from the accident. The only way you can reclaim money from the driver that was drunk is through a civil claim. This type of compensation is called “damages,” and they can take various forms.
Special damages
These are intended to pay you back for expenses that are costly such as medical bills, lost income from missing work, and other expenses.
General damages
These are meant to reimburse you for mental and physical suffering and pain, and more personal types of effects of your injuries from the accident.
These two groups of losses are jointly known as “compensatory” damages and in some cases you could also be allowed “punitive” damages. Punitive damages serve the primary function of punishing the driver that was drunk for reckless behavior while also deterring people from repeating similar behavior.
Related Articles by Ed Smith:
- Why Should I Consider Having the Edward A Smith Law Offices Represent Me?
- Do I Have to go to Court to Receive a Settlement for my Injuries?
Sacramento Drunk Driving Injury Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Drunk Driving Injury Lawyer. If you, or someone you love has been seriously hurt or killed by an intoxicated driver, please call me today at (916) 921-6400 for free, friendly advice. I can also be reached toll-free when calling outside of the Sacramento region at (800) 404-5400. When you call, we will go over the details of your case and decide how best to proceed. I take all cases on a contingency fee basis which means you don’t pay until or unless I obtain a favorable outcome on your case.
I am pleased to be a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Take a look at my results on our past verdicts and settlements page.
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