Civil Lawsuit Compensate Victims Injured by Intoxicated Drivers
Drunk drivers pose a serious risk to all drivers on the road. Under Florida law, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a criminal act. The criminal justice system may hold drunk drivers accountable for their actions through restitution or jail time. Drunk drivers may also be held accountable for their actions through a civil lawsuit filed by a victim. A personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit will allow a victim to seek compensation from the driver, the driver’s insurance and even the owner of any business that negligently served the driver alcohol.
Victims of alcohol or drug-related accidents can include motorcyclists, pedestrians, passengers and other innocent drivers. Their injuries can be multiple and range from simple bruises to complex brain injury, paralysis or even death. Alcohol and drugs can significantly impair a driver’s focus and reflexes. Consequently, there are certain types of accidents that drunk drivers are likely to cause.
- Head-on collisions: Oftentimes drunk drivers fail to see lines on the road, parked cars and cars headed towards them. The driver may not realize that they are headed in the wrong way until after they have caused an accident.
- Pedestrian accidents: Intoxicated drivers often have difficulty with visual perception. This makes it hard to see and avoid pedestrians on the road or sidewalk.
- Rear-end collisions: Alcohol can make a driver drowsy and unable to concentrate as they drive. It is easy for an intoxicated driver to fall asleep while driving or get distracted and crashed into a stopped or parked vehicle.
If you are in an accident and you believe that intoxication was a factor, then it is critical that you collect information about the accident, including witness statements, police records, and field sobriety tests. Under Florida law, victims of intoxicated drivers may be entitled to monetary compensation, including punitive damages, awarded in a civil lawsuit. The civil suit may allow victims to recover medical costs, lost wages, and damaged property. And in the case of death, a civil suit will compensate the family for the loss of their loved one.
Victims of Drunk Drivers Deserve Compensation
Victims of an accident caused by an intoxicated driver may develop medical complications as a result of their injury. These injuries will require physical and mental rehabilitation. While victims may be able to recover medical costs from insurance, coverage will not provide compensation for time away from work or unforeseen future medical costs. In the case of a fatal accident, the victim’s family may need, and deserves, compensation for their loss.
Filing a civil claim after on behalf of a drunk driver victim requires the skill and experience of a personal injury lawyer. If a drunk driver has injured you, then contact the Miami personal injury lawyers at our firm. Our personal injury attorneys will use their knowledge to help you and ensure you are fairly compensated for your injury. Please call Alan Goldfarb, P.A. at 305-371-3111 to discuss the details of your case.
