Drunk driving causes many car accidents every day. When someone else is drunk and operating a car and hits you, are you going to have a good injury case? If you are hurt in a car accident because of the fault of a drunk driver, will you still have to fight the insurance company for help to pay medical bills?
1. If you are able, call the police as soon as possible (before you leave the scene). If you are hurt in a car accident, the police should come with an ambulance to get you medical attention right away. If the other driver that hit you was drunk, call the police.
2. Always follow the criminal case that the drunk driver might have. The criminal case against the drunk driver could affect the way that the insurance company decides to pay you. Many things can happen in the criminal case against the drunk driver that could impact or ruin your civil case.
3. Be careful if the drunk driver files for bankruptcy. Some people think that they can file for bankruptcy and avoid having to pay for a personal injury settlement, but that isn’t always the case because there are safeguards in place to prevent people from abusing the system.
4. Watch your words when you speak with an insurance adjuster. Even if the negligent drunk driver tested with a BAC over the legal limit, there is no guarantee that a court will find them guilty. Additionally, the insurance company may try to place part of the blame on you, claiming you were partly at fault for the accident even though the other driver was drunk. This could reduce the amount that they will pay out.
5. Speak to an injury lawyer. A lot of people get hurt in a car accident every day and many of them don’t need to see an injury attorney. But, if you are somebody that was hurt in a drunk driving crash, you most likely aren’t one of them. Because a drunk driving case usually involves two separate court cases (a criminal case brought against the drunk driver by the state and a civil case brought by you against the drunk driver) the legal matters might get a little too complicated for you to handle on your own. Here’s what a personal injury lawyer can do: they will fight the insurance company to get the most to help pay your medical bills.
