CAN I SUE A DRUNK DRIVER WHO HIT ME?

Despite increasingly harsh criminal penalties for those who drive while under the influence of alcohol, drunk driving remains one of the leading causes of car accidents across the country. According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, 34% of 2018 traffic fatalities on Virginia roads were alcohol-related.

Many who survive these crashes are left with serious and debilitating injuries that may last forever. If you are ever injured in a drunk driving accident, please know that you have options for pursuing compensation for your physical and emotional damages.

PURSUING COMPENSATION AGAINST A DRUNK DRIVER

After you are involved in an accident, you should always first seek medical attention. Even if you do not feel injured, some symptoms do not manifest until days or weeks later. It’s important to have a doctor diagnose and treat you so that your condition is documented in timely medical records.

But you shouldn’t have to pay for your medical bills and other related damages, especially when you did nothing wrong. Instead, you are able to pursue compensation against the at-fault driver’s insurance company for “compensatory damages. These include two types of damages:

• Economic Damages. These are the physical, monetary losses that you sustained because of the accident, such as medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and other related expenses.
• Non-Economic Damages. These are the non-monetary damages that will be awarded based on how much your life was damaged because of the accident, including pain and suffering, mental anguish, trauma, diminished quality of life, and others.

Additionally, Virginia law allows victims of drunk driving accidents to seek punitive damages, which are awarded in situations when the defendant (the drunk driver) acted with gross negligence and reckless conduct. These damages are meant to punish the defendant to deter future similar conduct.

You should not settle for anything less than what you deserve. It is imperative that you seek the assistance of a skilled accident attorney who can gather all the evidence needed to prove the drunk driver’s actions directly caused your injuries and calculate your full damages.

HUFFMAN & HUFFMAN IS HERE FOR YOU

We understand that being injured in any accident can be absolutely devastating. You shouldn’t have to worry about paying for your medical bills when you were not even responsible for your injuries.

Please know that we are here to for during these difficult times. At Huffman & Huffman, our seasoned legal team has over 150 years of collective experience advocating on behalf of Virginia injury victims. You can be rest assured knowing that we will fight hard for you, too.

Our family is here to help yours through these difficult times. Contact our Newport News legal team at (757) 599-6050 to get started with a free consultation.