If you are struck by a drunk driver and suffer a serious injury, a personal injury lawyer helps you secure the most possible for your recovery. A lawyer also protects you if a DUI suspect doesn’t have insurance or leaves the scene of the crash.
Maison Law represents the victims of DUI accidents. We help hold a drunk driver’s car insurance provider responsible for every hardship you suffer after an accident, including massive hospital bills and lost income at work. Contact our California Car Accident Lawyers for a free consultation on your best options.
When You’ll Need a Personal Injury Lawyer After an Accident Involving a Drunk Driver
Drunk drivers on California roads make moves that are hard for drivers to anticipate. A drunk driver may travel down a freeway in the wrong direction or make a sudden veer across a yellow line into oncoming traffic. Even safe drivers will struggle to avoid a devastating collision.
A drunk driver who causes an accident will face criminal charges, but victims don’t have to wait on the outcome of a trial to file an accident claim. If the DUI suspect has car insurance, you’ll be able to file a claim to get compensation for your medical bills, car repair costs, and other damages. This civil claim is decided separately from the criminal trial.
When an accident caused by an impaired driver only involves property damage and/or some minor scrapes and bruises, insurance companies are usually pretty cooperative. Insurers have standardized getting car repairs handled or giving you money to buy another car.
However, when your accident involves a major injury, like a broken arm or a brain injury, insurance companies quickly become less helpful. They begin looking for ways to wiggle out of responsibility for the more expensive medical care that’s needed. This is when having the protection of a California car accident lawyer prevents you from losing out on the full compensation you’ll need to recover.
What Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Do After I’ve Been Hit by a Drunk Driver?
When you have questions about if you need a lawyer after an accident, you have an easy way to determine the answers. Talk to a car accident lawyer at Maison Law in a free, no-obligation case review. You’ll understand your options, and even if you won’t need our legal services, you’ll still learn how to proceed the best way on your own.
If we can help you maximize the compensation you receive after an accident involving a serious injury, our skilled attorneys will be fully investigating the circumstances of your case. Our lawyers provide these and other safeguards in the aftermath of a crash caused by a drunk driver:
- Investigates your case – Your Maison Law car accident lawyer begins an investigation into your accident and the drunk driver involved. Your lawyer looks for anyone who contributed to the accident and may owe you support. This will include the driver, the driver’s auto insurance provider, and perhaps a restaurant that overserved the driver, contributing to the crash. With more parties to sue, the chances increase that you and your family get fully compensated for damages.
- Gathers evidence – You’ll need proof of who was to blame for a car accident, even when a drunk driver is involved. Evidence from the scene, surveillance video, and witness and expert testimony all prevent a car insurance company from finding reasons to reject your claim. You’ll also need medical documentation of the seriousness of your injuries and doctors’ opinions on how they may affect your life in the years ahead.
- Protect you from blame – Drunk drivers are not automatically blamed for accidents they are in. They may face criminal charges for being discovered drunk behind the wheel, but that’s different from being charged for causing a crash. Their insurance adjusters can still argue that someone else caused a collision. Your lawyer gathers evidence to fight back if an insurer tries to reject your injury claim by falsely blaming you.
- Protect you from delays – Insurance companies like to keep injured victims waiting on support. This delay could make you desperate as your doctor bills stack higher and higher. Your lawyer recognizes this tactic and calls out the business practices of insurance companies. Your lawyer also represents the threat of a lawsuit if this unfair treatment goes to an extreme level.
- Protect you from “lowball” settlement offers – When you become desperate, car insurance providers have an easier time getting you to sign off on settlement offers that are far less than what your injuries are worth. Your California car accident attorney helps you identify this tactic and reject a lowball offer. Your lawyer then demands more and threatens to take the insurance company to court if they don’t do what’s right.
Do I Need a Lawyer If I’m Struck By a Drunk Driver Who Doesn’t Have Insurance?
Getting behind the wheel while intoxicated may not be a driver’s only lapse in judgment. A drunk driver can also be traveling without car insurance. This news may cause you a great deal of worry, but there is still a way to get help with your accident costs.
You’ll need to file a claim with your own car insurance company under your uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage helps with costs relating to injury recovery and lost wages while you miss work. It usually does not cover the repairs to your car.
You’ll be dealing with your own insurance representative, but you must be careful. Even your insurance company can attempt to limit the coverage you receive. They may try the same tactics that another driver’s insurance company would use. Having a California personal injury lawyer handle your case helps protect you. In many cases, it’s the best way to ensure you get the most out of your injury claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of things can I get compensation for after an accident involving a drunk driver?
An injury claim seeks support to pay all present and future medical bills. The claim asks for help with replacing lost paychecks while the victim is out of work. The pain and emotional trauma endured should also earn compensation.
How long do I have to file an accident claim and ask for support from an insurance company?
Two years. California has a statute of limitations of two years for filing an injury claim. Take action as soon as possible so that evidence and witnesses don’t disappear.
What if I can’t afford to hire a California personal injury lawyer?
You don’t need any money to hire a Maison Law representative. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the compensation you are awarded.
Contact a California Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been hurt in an accident involving an impaired driver, talk to Maison Law before speaking with any insurance representative. It’s a no-risk way to learn what you’ll need in an accident settlement to fully pay off your hospital bills and rebuild your life. You’ll know exactly what to demand from an insurance company.
Contact attorney Martin Gasparian to schedule a free, no-obligation case consultation for your family. You’ll learn about every benefit available to you and how to hold a drunk driver’s car insurance provider fully responsible.
