Drunk driving accident attorneys in Fort Wayne want to help survivors like you hold negligent drivers accountable for their dangerous behavior. We understand you may find yourself reluctant to take legal action against another person while you’re recovering from a crash. That’s why we take responsibility for the creation of the case you can file against a drunk driver.
With our help, you can demand that a drunk driver fund your post-accident recovery. Our Fort Wayne car accident lawyers can help you integrate economic and non-economic losses into your request for support, stabilizing your finances along the way. Ready to learn more? Call Vaughan & Vaughan to book a case evaluation now.
What to Expect From Police After a Drunk Driving Accident
Driving while intoxicated constitutes a violation of Indiana law. In the immediate wake of your accident, officers may arrive on the scene and arrest the person responsible for your collision. The state may then bring a criminal case against that party in an effort to discourage similar behaviors in Fort Wayne and beyond.
Officers will, at the same time, complete an accident report. You may later reference this report in your effort to understand what negligence led to your accident. Officers can go into detail about the damages you endured as a result of another person’s violation of the law, as well as:
- The time your accident took place
- Where your accident took place
- Who responded to your accident
- Who witnessed your accident
If you’re struggling to get your hands on the car accident report related to your recent crash, let an experienced personal injury lawyer in Fort Wayne go to work on your behalf. Once we have your car accident report, we can integrate the information it contains into an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.
Can a Criminal Case Impact Your Right to Recover Civil Damages?
Criminal cases won’t stop you from bringing a personal injury lawsuit against the party responsible for your drunk driving accident. In some cases, you can use findings that come out in a criminal case to advance your civil lawsuit.
For example, if the person responsible for your drunk driving accident gets convicted of a crime, that conviction can serve as proof of negligence in civil court. You can work with an attorney to submit a criminal conviction alongside the rest of your claim. While that conviction won’t win your case outright, it will do a considerable amount of work to prove that you deserve support.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
How to Get Support After a Drunk Driving Accident
There’s more than one way to get the financial aid you need to overcome losses sustained in an accident with a drunk driver. You can work with an attorney to:
File an Insurance Claim With a Liable Party’s Provider
Indiana requires all of its drivers to maintain at least the state’s minimum liability coverage. While some drivers choose to drive without insurance or while underinsured, there’s a good chance that the party liable for your losses has coverage. If this is the case, you can file a claim for support with the liable party’s provider.
It may be difficult to get a liable party’s insurance information from someone who is actively intoxicated. You can work with police officers to gather this information at the scene or a later date. We recommend that you file an insurance claim as soon as you can after a crash, as insurance companies may use a delay on your part to deny you support.
In that vein, if you’re struggling to get the support you deserve from an insurance provider, our team can step in. We can prevent insurance claims adjusters from acting in bad faith after your accident. We can even sue insurance companies that refuse to acknowledge the reality of your losses.
Go to Civil Court
Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(a)(1) states that anyone involved in a car accident may bring a complaint regarding that accident forward in civil court within two years of their accident. If you want to demand compensation for your losses, you must file a personal injury lawsuit within that two-year time period.
There’s a difference between filing a claim and going to trial, though. Filing a personal injury claim does not commit you to a civil trial. If you complete a personal injury claim within your statute of limitations, you can arrange private settlement negotiations with the party responsible for your losses.
Those private conversations tend to resolve more quickly than a traditional trial. However, drunk driving trials allow you to hold belligerent parties accountable with a judge’s oversight. You can discuss which of these means best suits your recovery when you meet with a Fort Wayne drunk driving accident attorney for a case evaluation.
There is no fee
unless you win
Estimating the Damages You Deserve After a Drunk Driving Accident
You have the right to walk away from a drunk driving accident case with a settlement that addresses all of your economic and non-economic losses. The losses we can integrate into your claim may include the following:
- Emotional distress
- Lost wages
- Emergency medical expenses
- Long-term injury treatment, including physical therapy
- Property damage and restoration
- Rental fees
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
Let Fort Wayne Drunk Driving Lawyers Advocate for You
Drunk drivers endanger everyone around them. You don’t have to resign yourself to the consequences of someone else’s actions, even when those actions cause dangerous accidents. If you think a drunk driver contributed to your recent accident, you can connect with a Fort Wayne drunk driving accident attorney to take legal action.
Vaughan & Vaughan makes it easier for you to navigate the civil system while police investigate an intoxicated driver’s behavior. We advocate for your right to accident compensation based on your losses. Our efforts can help you stabilize your finances while you recover. Contact us today to book your FREE personal injury case evaluation.
