How Often Does Drunk Driving Cause Accidents?

According to some research, alcohol related accidents account for nearly one third of all traffic deaths across the United States. The National Department of Transportation also shares that many of the people who have been arrested for driving under the influence are repeat offenders. These devastating behaviors can inflict a significant burden in terms of injuries and death.

The toll can be catastrophic for a family member that has lost a loved one due to a preventable DUI accident. If you have survived a DUI accident and are curious about how to receive compensation to pay for your injuries, damages and medical bills, consulting with a knowledgeable Pennsylvania DUI accident attorney could help give you the clarity you need to move forward with a personal injury lawsuit.

The criminal aspect of any DUI charge will be handled separately from your personal injury claim. This means you need to retain an experienced lawyer to assist you with your negligence lawsuit. While the outcome of the criminal case could strengthen your injury claim, you need to be preparing for your own liability case, too.

Laws About DUI Accidents

Anyone who has been shown to cause an accident due to negligent behavior, such as being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, could be found negligent in a personal injury lawsuit.

Each driver owes a duty of care to everyone else on the road. When it can be shown that a driver has breached the duty of care and has exposed other parties to injuries, damages or even fatalities, surviving family members or surviving accident victims could pursue a lawsuit. Unfortunately, however, serious compensation awarded in these DUI accident cases in Pennsylvania might not make up for the emotional and physical costs you have endured.

A driver convicted of a DUI will have some level of negligence in your personal injury case, but they might not be the only party who is responsible for the accident and your injuries.

A thorough investigation of the accident scene is required in order to better understand who could be held liable for your accident. As a surviving victim of an accident, it can be too much to think about the possibility of pursuing such a case on your own. This is where retaining a Pennsylvania DUI accident attorney is important.

Third Party Liability in Pennsylvania DUI Accidents

The Pennsylvania statute of limitations means that you have a limited period of time in which to pursue a legal claim. If you wait too long and do not file a lawsuit against the responsible party, you could be barred from recovering compensation that you might be owed as a result of such an accident. Another possible party to be named as liable in a DUI lawsuit is a bar or establishment that provided the alcohol. In certain situations, providing the alcohol could serve as grounds to be considered liable and negligent for damages. If you or someone you know has already suffered injury as a result of a DUI accident, you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible.

Seeking out a respected Pennsylvania personal injury firm with experience in driving under the influence accidents is critical. According to some research, Pennsylvania has an approximately 60,000 DUI arrests every single year.

Just because someone has been convicted of drunk driving does not necessarily mean they will be held liable or be admissible in your personal injury case. While it might seem to you that such a car accident is clearly the drunk driver's fault and you could be entitled to punitive damages if the driver was very drunk, you need to have an attorney advocating four your rights.

You need to be sure to evaluate your options to speak with a personal injury lawyer immediately and to ask questions of your attorney so that you understand what's involved in bringing forward a case. Many DUI cases could be resolved outside of court in a settlement negotiation, but this is based on your attorney's level of experience and the fairness of the settlement offer presented by the other side.     

Hire an attorney you can trust when you’ve been hurt in a PA DUI accident.