How Can a Norfolk DUI Accident Lawyer Help You Recover?
Drunk driving accidents are 100% preventable — if you were injured by someone else’s negligence during a Norfolk DUI accident, an experienced lawyer can help. Secure justice for you and your family, and hold the intoxicated driver accountable for the harm they caused.
Known as driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI), the act of driving in a chemically-altered state is incredibly dangerous. Individuals and families impacted by DUI accidents deserve justice.
If you have suffered due to the actions of an intoxicated driver, the Smith Law Center can help. We have extensive experience in car and truck accident injury cases, and in litigating traumatic brain and spinal cord injury cases, which are often a common aspect of DUI crashes. We can help make sure that your settlement or verdict is maximized to cover the full cost of your losses.
Contact our Norfolk DUI accident lawyers for representation online or by calling (757) 695-9425. Located in Hampton, Virginia, we represent individuals in surrounding cities and states, and have delivered record-setting results that have helped fund long-term or life-long care for our clients.
What Can a DUI Accident Lawsuit Settlement Cover?
Settlements for DUI car accident lawsuits may cover:
- Medical bills like hospital costs and ongoing therapy
- Job losses like unemployment, lost wages, reduced wages, and job-related benefits such as retirement or healthcare contributions
- Property damage to your vehicle and compensation for alternative means of transportation
- Emotional losses such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, or loss of relationship health in your marriage and family
- Wrongful death losses such as burial costs and the irreplaceable companionship of your deceased loved one
The Norfolk DUI accident attorneys at the Smith Law Center have recovered over 1 billion dollars for our clients, including a record-setting $7.5 million to a woman who suffered a brain injury from a car accident here in Virginia.
A substantial settlement can help provide high-quality medical care and a stable, dignified future for you and your family.
What Information Does a Drunk Driving Accident Attorney Need?
Here is some important information it would be helpful to have when beginning a Norfolk DUI lawsuit:
- Date and location: When and where did your accident occur? Your attorney may send investigators to the spot to study the environment and potentially collect evidence.
- Contact information: If possible, take down the names and contact info of any drivers, passengers, or witnesses present at the accident site.
- The police report: If police were called to the scene, their report can be requested from the local station.
- Insurance information: Both your insurance company and the other driver’s if they were insured — don’t give statements or interviews to either side before speaking with your attorney in order to protect your right to privacy.
- Receipts: Any payments made or bills issued for medical care, vehicle tows, and missed work or docked wages.
If you do not have all of this information readily available, or are too injured or overwhelmed to pursue these tasks, that is perfectly okay. It’s an attorney’s job to build a legal case, not yours. Your Norfolk DUI accident lawyer from the Smith Law Center can gather all of the information required to file a lawsuit. Let us handle your case so you can focus on recovering from the accident.
By pursuing a Norfolk DUI accident lawsuit, you can improve your future prospects and help prevent future accidents by holding drunk drivers accountable. Contact the Smith Law Center at (757) 695-9425 to take legal action on your terms today.
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How Common Are Virginia DUI Accidents?
Virginia driving accident data for one year shows that:
- Over 200 Virginians die in DUI-related accidents.
- Preventable alcohol-related deaths make up roughly 28% of driving deaths
- 100% of the drunk drivers involved in fatal accidents were repeat offenders
National DUI statistics reveal that over 10,000 Americans lose their lives to drunk drivers each year, especially around the holidays. Drunk driving arrests are higher than arrests made for violent crimes like murder, rape, and aggravated assault combined.
Every number in these statistics represents an individual or family in crisis. For those who have been harmed by drunk driving, a personal injury lawsuit helps you reclaim control of the situation, and have your needs prioritized.
Is Being on Prescription Drugs Considered “Under the Influence”?
Yes, driving while affected by legal prescription drugs that affect a person’s perception, reaction times, or suitability to drive may be considered a DUI case.
Even though doctor-prescribed medications are not illegal for the other person to take or possess, driving while on prescription or over-the-counter drugs can still be considered inappropriate or criminal. Examples include if they’re not taking the medications as instructed, or if they are abusing legally available drugs for a high.
Contact a Norfolk DUI Accident Attorney
Car and truck accidents caused by drunk or intoxicated driving are unacceptable. Driving is dangerous enough with unavoidable hazards such as common rear-end accidents and hazardous weather conditions — to drive while drunk or drugged is to behave with a disturbing disregard for human life.
If you have suffered due to a DUI accident in Virginia, your decision to stand up for your rights and seek compensation could help improve the safety in our community. Many drunk drivers are repeat offenders, regularly driving under the influence, endangering innocent commuters and pedestrians. By holding negligent drivers responsible for their harmful actions, you can help make the roads safer in addition to securing what you are entitled to for your injuries.
The lawyers at the Smith Law Center have helped individuals and families cope with catastrophic injuries by securing the funds they need to survive and heal. We will ensure that all of your losses are accounted for, including psychological harm done and any long-term care needs you may have to maintain or regain independence. Reach out to our Norfolk DUI accident attorneys online or by calling (757) 695-9425 — we have the proven experience you deserve for your one opportunity to achieve justice.
FAQ
Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer FAQs
Who is at fault in a Norfolk DUI accident?
A drunk driver will almost always bear some fault for any accident they are involved in. However, their insurance company or defense lawyers may argue that you were partially at fault if they can. This is done in an attempt to lessen the responsibility of their client.
Do not worry about what opposing counsel may try to claim. Your attorney from the Smith Law Center can protect you and your reputation by securing evidence that shows the true cause of the accident. This may include evidence of intoxication of the other driver like a bar tender’s testimony, their blood-alcohol content, or police statements.
Does the other driver need to be found guilty of drunk driving before I can file a lawsuit?
No, a criminal charge or conviction is not necessary before bringing a civil lawsuit. Civil personal injury claims are between you and the party or parties who harmed you. As your attorneys, we need to prove a few key elements: first that the other side acted negligently, second that they caused you harm, and third that your injuries cost you in money, time, or quality of life.
Criminal cases are about police, prosecutors, and law enforcement; civil cases are about you and your personal needs.
What kind of expert testimony can a lawyer use in DUI accident cases?
Your Norfolk DUI accident lawyer may hire expert witnesses to testify about the responsibility of the other driver. One example would be a toxicologist with credentials in biology and chemistry. A qualified toxicologist can establish that the substances found in the driver’s blood would have a negative effect on their ability to operate a vehicle safely.
Other expert witnesses may be brought in on your behalf, including medical experts who can describe what the injuries did to your quality of life. A physiologist can testify about the kind of physical therapy you’ll need to heal, and the length of time such healing is likely to require. Expert accountants can help calculate the cost of the care you’ll need, and the effects of inflation on the price of that care going forward.
How long do I have to file a DUI accident lawsuit?
The deadline for filing a DUI accident case varies from state to state. In Norfolk and throughout Virginia, the deadline is two years from the date of the accident. If you miss that window, you may forever lose your chance to receive compensation, no matter how strong the evidence in your case would have been.
Do not delay in speaking with an attorney from the Smith Law Center. We can be reached online or by calling (757) 244-7000. We will meet important court deadlines on your behalf, removing that worry from your mind so you can heal in peace.
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