No accident is ever really “normal,” but there is a normal process for handling the aftermath. By now, you’re familiar with the standard advice of getting medical treatment, taking photos of the accident and so on, but does the process change if the other driver is drunk?
Adding a drunk driver to the mix of a car accident means that the criminal justice system will be involved. If the coverage of a recent <atarget=”_blank” href=”https://www.fox19.com/2020/01/17/police-mom-was-ovi-indian-hill-crash-with-young-children-car/” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>accident in Indian Hill is any indication, a drunk driver draws all sorts of attention. And yet, if you are the person injured, you might feel lost in between the criminal proceedings and hospital bills.
Drunk drivers are held liable
While the criminal justice system will move to begin punishing the other driver, you may find yourself in a hospital or recovering. You may not necessarily know what is going on with the criminal case, but you should understand that the criminal case has nothing to do with your injury. Criminal law is between the government and the individual at fault.
Your injury, however, is between you and the other driver. If you have:
- Serious injuries such as broken bones, burns or traumatic brain injuries
- Lost time at work while recovering
- No longer have transportation
- Significant challenges ahead as you move on
Then you may have the basics qualifications for a personal injury suit. The next step for you is to reach out to an attorney to find out exactly what your next steps should be.
Your action plan should focus on you
With any possible personal injury action, your focus shouldn’t be on what is happening with anything but your case. It’s possible that the person who hurt you may have had the charges dropped. That can feel frustrating, but it doesn’t make a difference for your case. In a personal injury case, the thing that matters most is how injured you are. After all, what you will get out of your case is going to be between you and your lawyer.
