If you are struck by a driver who was impaired by drugs or alcohol, you can seek full compensation for your damaged vehicle, your medical bills, and any time you miss from work.
Our skilled attorneys at Melrose Law fully investigate your accident and back your case with evidence so there is no question of who should accept financial accountability for the consequences of an accident. Then we demand support that covers everything you’ve been through. We are ready to talk to you in a free, no-obligation consultation. At such a difficult time, you owe it to yourself to learn about every benefit available while you recover.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Getting Hit by a Drunk Driver?
The severity of your injuries often determines whether you need a legal representative. If you end up with serious injuries, such as a broken arm or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and your medical bills will be expensive, you’ll probably do better with a lawyer handling your case.
The increased value of an injury case often makes car insurance companies fight harder to avoid responsibility. More evidence is needed, and stronger negotiating skills greatly help in getting treated fairly and compassionately.
Insurers may try to blame you for a collision, even if their policyholder is charged with DWI in the accident. But your Asheville Car Accident Lawyer is ready with the facts and fights to get you the most possible so you can rebuild your life. The settlement check a strong lawyer can win you is often much more than you could earn by handling your case yourself.
What Happens If I’m Struck by a DWI Suspect?
If you are struck by someone you believe to be guilty of Driving While Impaired (DWI), you should contact 911 immediately and request an ambulance if you are hurt.
Once it’s safe, get photo evidence of the damage to vehicles and any signs of inebriation you see. Get contact information from anyone who saw the crash or interacted with the other driver.
Asheville Police or the North Carolina Highway Patrol may respond.
Once officers arrive, alert them to any behavior that made you suspect the driver was impaired. You might have also seen beer cans in the car, or smelled alcohol on the driver’s breath.
Investigators will take over from there and issue sobriety tests in some cases. You should focus on your safety and getting medical care.
Don’t worry about who is liable for the consequences. You won’t have to wait long to seek justice and the support you’ll need to get your life back to normal.
When Can I File a Claim Against a Drunk Driver After an Accident?
You might think you’ll have to wait for the suspect to be found guilty of DWI to get help with your medical bills, but that’s not true. Your personal injury case is a civil claim, and it’s settled separately from criminal charges.
You can file an insurance claim or lawsuit against the driver at any time, even if a criminal trial or hearing hasn’t happened yet.
As long as you have a strong case backed by evidence, you can earn a settlement check as soon as the suspect’s car insurance provider accepts fault.
It’s tough to argue that a driver wasn’t to blame when they face DWI charges, but insurers can still attempt to escape accountability. Your Melrose Law attorney would be your safeguard. We would make sure your case was backed up with documentation and evidence, and even accident reconstruction data, so that insurers were left with no excuses to deny your claim.
DWI Accident Hazards on Asheville Streets
Drivers can be careless enough on busy mountain roads like Patton Highway or I-240. When alcohol or drugs are involved, the consequences can be much worse.
Accidents can occur with much more devastating results. Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol may not have the awareness to hit the brakes when they are on the verge of striking someone. They may impact another car or a pedestrian at full speed, causing much more severe injuries.
The actions of DWI motorists can also be harder to predict, leaving good drivers unable to steer clear of collisions. More accidents occur, and they are often more damaging.
A North Carolina conviction means that drivers lose their licenses for a year. First-time offenders can go to jail for 24 hours or up to 60 days. They’ll also pay hefty fines.
What Can I Earn in Support After Getting Hit by a DWI Driver?
The punishments listed above don’t help the victim in recovery. Victims will need to receive prompt help paying their hospital bills and restoring their normal lives. A skilled Asheville DWI Accident Lawyer makes sure insurance companies cannot unnecessarily delay support or provide far less than a patient needs.
Our attorneys would demand these benefits and more for you and your family:
- Support to pay all of your current medical bills, and any healthcare expenses that are expected in the future.
- Support for any income you lose while having to miss work due to injury.
- Support for the pain a drunk driver has forced you to endure with a serious injury.
- Support for the emotional stress a scary crash and a long recovery cause.
- Wrongful death support.
Buncombe County families who have a loved one taken from them by an impaired driver can also seek support. An Asheville Wrongful Death Lawyer would demand support to help them pay for funeral costs and any remaining hospital bills.
A wrongful death claim should also factor in the income a family may have depended on from the deceased victim. The lost companionship and love that’s been lost for the future must also be considered when determining the size of a wrongful death settlement.
Contact an Asheville Car Accident Lawyer After a Collision Caused by a Drunk Driver
If you suffer a serious injury in an accident, you may require the help of a skilled attorney to secure the support you need to recover. If your accident was caused by a drunk or drug-impaired motorist, you’ll want to make sure that driver faces justice and pays for the consequences you face.
Your Melrose Law attorney will fully investigate your car accident and those responsible. The powerful evidence gathered can make a big difference in the outcome of your case and the level of support you and your family receive.
Melrose Law offers a free case consultation to all mountain car accident victims. There’s no obligation for your case review, and your consultation remains completely confidential.
However, if you require our help to get fair treatment, you won’t need any upfront money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we’ve won our case for you. Then our fee is paid out of the settlement check you earn.
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