A drunk driving accident can leave you with severe injuries that change the course of your life. Your injuries may require medical treatment and leave you temporarily or permanently unable to work. Even if you weren’t working before the crash, you might no longer be able to engage in activities you used to enjoy.
When you are in this situation, one of our Orlando car accident lawyers can help with your case. You can hold a drunk driver liable for the costs of your injuries in a civil claim. You may be eligible for compensation for medical care, lost income, loss of enjoyment, and punitive damages.
Call today for a free legal consultation.
Recovering Fair Compensation Following a Drunk Driving Accident
Compensation for injuries from an alcohol-related crash can cover multiple kinds of expenses and losses, also known as “damages.” There are generally two categories of damages: economic and non-economic. You can go through the insurance company or sue someone personally for the following:
Economic Damages
Economic damages can include some or all of the following:
- Medical expenses: These include surgery costs, hospitalization expenses, costs of emergency medical treatment and transport, medical bills for ongoing treatment, medical assistive devices and modifications to your home and vehicles, and rehabilitation costs.
- Lost income: This could include lost wages due to an inability to work, vocational rehabilitation, the costs of education and retraining, and loss of future earning capacity if you cannot return to your former job.
- Property damage: This includes costs involving your vehicle, such as repairs or replacement
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages do not relate to a particular bill or expense. These are losses that are intangible but no less significant. Some examples of non-economic damages incurred by drunk driving accident victims include the following:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship (loss of consortium)
- Wrongful death (if a loved one died)
- Punitive damages
The total amount of damages you may receive in a drunk driving accident case will depend on the details of your accident.
The severity of your injuries, the extent of your losses, and the permanency of your impairments all dictate the kinds of damages that you may qualify to seek in an Orlando personal injury lawsuit.
What Our Team Does for Auto Accident Victims
Driving under the influence has criminal implications for the at-fault party, such as jail time. However, this is separate from the civil consequences of a personal injury claim. A lawyer can help you hold the at-fault party responsible for the damage they caused.
Personal injury cases can be challenging to coordinate alone, especially if you are still recovering from the accident. A personal injury lawyer from our Orlando office may be able to take over your case for you.
We can help you by:
- Figuring out who was at fault for your accident.
- Building a case against them.
- Evaluating your damages and collecting evidence of their value.
- Communicating with all other parties for you.
- Filing your insurance claim and lawsuit.
- Negotiating for a settlement.
- Taking your case to trial if we don’t settle outside of court.
Why Choose One of Our Orlando Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys
At our team, we go the extra mile for our clients. When you work with us on your car accident case, you can expect the following:
- We’ll give you your lawyer’s phone number.
- You’ll get all your questions answered promptly.
- We can assist you with scheduling if you need help with auto repairs.
- We can help you arrange medical appointments, too.
We work hard to make the claims and litigation process easy for you.
We Can Serve You From Our Orlando Office
We offer convenient service for victims of drunk driving accidents from our office in Orlando. We know the Central Florida area and can use our understanding of local laws and jurisdictions to seek maximum compensation.
Filing Deadlines for Personal Injury Cases
Accident victims and their families must follow strict deadlines for filing their personal injury lawsuits. These deadlines, or “statutes of limitations,” differ according to state law and the type of lawsuit involved.
Under Florida Statute § 95.11(3)(a), most injury victims have a four-year statute of limitations for filing their personal injury lawsuits in Florida. A few exceptions may shorten or extend this general filing deadline.
An injured person typically has only four years from the date they suffered their injuries in the drunk driving accident to file a lawsuit formally. Although many personal injury cases settle before they go to court, you must ensure that you meet the statute of limitations to retain your right to sue.
A Lawyer Can Help
If you do not meet this deadline, the judge may dismiss your case, and you will lose the opportunity to take legal action. A personal injury attorney from our legal team can help you file your Orlando lawsuit on time.
Steps To Take That Protect Your Eligibility for Compensation
After an accident with an intoxicated person, you can take several steps to build a strong foundation for your case. Consider the following tips:
- Create an evidence file: Collect a copy of the accident report for your records. You can get a copy online. If you collected any contact information from witnesses of the accident, save this information to give to a lawyer from our team. You can also keep a pain journal to show how your injuries affect your life.
- Avoid talking about your injuries on social media: If you discuss your injuries online, an insurance company could use this information against you in a claim. Similarly, avoid making a recorded statement for an insurer if you are contacted for this purpose.
- Get a free case review: When you contact our team for a free consultation, we can give you a sense of what your legal options are in your case. We can also help you understand what your case could be worth.
Drunk Driving Accident Statistics in Florida
Despite the penalties that exist under Florida law to punish intoxicated drivers, drunk driving accidents continue to occur. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reports that in 2020, more than 4,500 car accidents involved alcohol consumption.
This problem is not limited to the state of Florida. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that nationwide, around 30 people die each day in drunk driving accidents.
Drunk driving violates state criminal laws, which can also lead to a finding of civil liability. It is important to note that you can still pursue compensation in a civil claim against a drunk driver even if they are not convicted of criminal charges.
Call Us Today for a Free Case Review
Devastating injuries from a drunk driving accident can impact you physically, emotionally, and financially for the rest of your life. You should not have to pay for your medical expenses and other losses if another party’s negligence caused your accident.
By filing a personal injury case against the drunk driver who harmed you, you could hold them responsible for the losses they caused. Don’t settle with an insurance company for less than your case is worth. An attorney from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can explain your rights during a free consultation.
Contact us today for more information.
We Can Help.
