Drunk Driving Injury

One in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash during their lifetime. Are you The One?

 

This statistic is particularly striking when you consider the increased criminal penalties and unprecedented public awareness of the dangerousness of driving under the influence of alcohol. DUI is the most easily preventable traffic tragedy, but every day, hundreds of people drive a car with a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit. Their judgment, perception, balance, and ability to operate a car safely is severely impaired, and they cause devastation and destruction in the lives of others.

 

State laws are designed to punish drunk drivers with jail time and fines. However, it is up to victims and their attorneys to use the civil law to obtain recoveries for injured victims of drunk drivers. Unlike with most injury cases, juries may use their verdict in drunk driving cases both to compensate the victim and to punish the drunk driver further.

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When drunk drivers who cause injuries have blood alcohol levels above .15 or their conduct is willful, Virginia law allows for the rarely used penalty of punitive damages. The possibility of punitive damages is designed to be a public warning to prevent others from driving while impaired. It may also serve as an incentive in negotiations with the driver’s insurance company and often results in a favorable settlement for our clients, the victims of drunk drivers, without the need for litigation.

 

Like many other special areas of personal injury law, the laws that govern DUI require knowledgeable trial attorneys, like Greg Sandler at Sandler Law Group. The prosecution of these cases involves trial strategy and technique, as well as an understanding of toxicology and expert witnesses to maximize client recovery. If you have been injured by a drunk driver, call Greg Sandler at (757) 627-8900 immediately. There is an investigation that must be conducted and legal action that needs to be instituted to protect your rights.