It doesn’t matter if it’s game day, a rowdy weekend, or a weeknight. No one in Evansville should hit the road while drunk. Unfortunately, it’s all too common for local Hoosiers to have one too many beers before they get behind the wheel of a car. That negligence puts you at risk and can leave you with substantial bills if a drunk driver crashes into your car.
It doesn’t seem fair that drunk drivers get to leave you with the bill for their bad behavior after an accident. You can fight to hold a drunk driver accountable for their actions with help from a drunk driving accident lawyer in Evansville. Vaughan & Vaughan can connect you with Evansville car accident lawyers who can outline your right to accident support.
Criminal Versus Civil Drunk Driving Cases
It’s illegal to get behind the wheel of a vehicle if your blood alcohol content (BAC) exceeds 0.08 percent. If someone with a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher causes an accident, Indiana’s police officers can arrest that person for violating the law.
As a private citizen, you cannot arrest anyone. You can’t initiate a criminal case against anyone, either, even if it seems obvious that a negligent party broke the law. You can only open a civil case against the offending party.
Civil cases allow you to demand financial support from a liable party based on the losses you sustained due to their negligence. Criminal cases can work hand-in-hand with civil cases, though. If an Indiana judge finds your liable party guilty of a crime, you can submit that criminal conviction to a civil judge as proof of a liable party’s negligence.
Personal injury lawyers in Evansville can help you stay on top of any criminal developments involving your liable party while helping you draft and file a personal injury claim.
When to Call a Personal Injury Lawyer
Vaughan & Vaughan recommends that you contact a personal injury attorney within hours or days of your initial accident. We can return to the scene and immediately start gathering the evidence needed to make a personal injury case against a liable party.
You can also rely on our knowledge while discussing your accident with police officers, and insurance claims adjusters. Our experience in and out of Indiana’s civil courtrooms can help you prioritize your health and financial concerns without waiving your right to legal action.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
How to Initiate a Civil Case Against a Drunk Driver
Bringing a civil case against a drunk driver requires you to prove that a liable party bears the blame for your recent accident. If you’re going to meet Indiana’s burden of proof and move your case forward, you need to compose a personal injury claim that goes into detail about:
- The identity of the party responsible for your drunk driving accident
- The nature of the negligence that led to your drunk driving accident
- The value of the losses you sustained in a drunk driving accident
An experienced drunk driving accident lawyer in Evansville can help you gather the data needed to support your claims.
Can Other Parties Assume Liability for Your Drunk Driving Accident?
There’s a chance that other parties may bear some of the blame for your drunk driving accident. For example, bars and restaurants are obligated to stop serving guests alcohol under Indiana’s Dram Shop Act. Bars and restaurants that fail to stop serving someone dangerous can take some of the blame for your accident.
Our team can help you determine what party or parties bear the blame for your recent accident while investigating your losses. You can count on our team to keep this investigation as transparent as possible and to explain the nature of complex liability should it prove relevant to your case.
There is no fee
unless you win
How to Calculate the Value of Your Drunk Driving Accident
Filing a personal injury claim after a drunk driving accident lets you demand financial support from the party responsible for your crash. You can calculate the total value of your case by finding the sum of losses like the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Property damage and restoration
- Property rentals
- Emergency medical care, including ambulance fees
- Medical invoices
- Lost wages or income
Our team can help you assign dollar values to non-economic losses such as pain, suffering, and stress.
File Your Drunk Driving Accident Claim Before Time Runs Out
Indiana Code section 34-11-2-4 controls the amount of time you have to build a personal injury claim against a drunk driver. You have until the third anniversary of your accident to not only complete your claim but file it with a civil judge. You cannot miss your filing deadline if you want to win the right to demand financial support from a liable party.
If you’re concerned about meeting your filing deadline, let an Evansville drunk driving accident attorney know. We can help you meet the state’s burden of proof without sacrificing your right to rest and recuperate after an accident.
Vaughan & Vaughan’s Evansville Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers Want to Support You
Evansville locals and tourists alike deserve to feel as safe as possible on area roads. Unfortunately, drunk drivers deliberately endanger everyone around them and can leave you feeling destabilized after a serious accident. Pursuing justice for your losses not only helps you pay your accident-related bills, but it can also give you back control of your life.
You can collaborate with Vaughan & Vaughan drunk driving accident attorneys in Evansville to bring a personal injury case against the driver responsible for your recent accident. Contact us today to book a FREE personal injury case evaluation. We’re ready to outline your right to accident support.
