Drunk Driving Car Accidents in Los Angeles
If you are involved in a collision with a drunk driver, your injuries are probably severe, and you may be worrying about how you will pay medical and household bills and support your family if you cannot work until you heal.
California has no tolerance for drunk drivers. Even a first-offense misdemeanor could lead to severe consequences. The stance the state takes works in your favor if you are injured in a drunk driving car accident in Los Angeles. Our car accident attorneys explore all avenues to win compensation for you.
California’s DUI Laws
California Vehicle Code § 23152(a)(b) considers drivers drunk if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeds 0.08 percent. Law enforcement officers in California can arrest drivers with a lower BAC if they believe they are too intoxicated to drive safely. This can negate a defendant’s or insurance company’s argument that the defendant was not drunk when they hit and injured someone because their BAC was not 0.08 percent. Commercial drivers with a CDL license have a lower threshold, and minors will be charged if any amount of alcohol is detected.
Negligence and Damages Awards
All drivers have a duty to drive safely and not put others at risk of injuries from reckless or careless acts. One duty is to abide by the drunk driving statutes. Alcohol is a known depressant that alters reaction time in the event of an impending crash. If a drunk driver causes an accident, they could be liable for the injured party’s:
- Current and future medical care related to the accident
- Lost wages
- Property damage, particularly to the injured party’s vehicle
- Emotional trauma
- Psychological trauma for loss of enjoyment of life, consortium, limbs, senses, enjoyment of family, and lifelong suffering for living with disfigurement or disability
Our attorneys believe a drunk driver should pay to put the client in as close a position as possible to their life before the accident. We fight to win that. Life may never be exactly the same, but bad actions should have consequences, and injured parties should be compensated by an insurance settlement or damages awarded in a lawsuit after drunk driving car collisions in Los Angeles.
Negligence Per Se in Drunk Driving Crash Suits
Negligence per se is a doctrine that simplifies the lawsuit process when the responsible party is ticketed or charged with a crime under state law. Negligence suits require attorneys to prove another had a duty to act responsibly, failed in that duty, caused an accident, and someone was injured because of it.
Negligence per se assumes the bad actor was negligent because they broke the law. Under this doctrine, all a person must prove is that they were injured in the process.
Our Attorneys Win Drunk Driving Car Accident Cases in Los Angeles
Our attorneys understand that your biggest responsibility is to your family and ensuring their needs are met and bills are paid. If you are injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver, that responsibility may take a back seat to your recovery, but the bills do not wait for you to get well and go back to work. You need help now.
We will listen to your ordeal and then gather evidence, including police reports, breathalyzer test results, witness statements, and your medical reports, to build a successful case for compensation. We want to win for you after a drunk driving car accident in Los Angeles. Call now to begin your case.
