Your Legal Options
Drunk driving accidents create a host of medical and legal challenges for those involved. Surviving victims are often left with very serious injuries requiring extensive and expensive treatment – and amid the stress and trauma of recovery, filing paperwork and taking legal action are not the first considerations. Families who have lost a loved one to a drunk driver are usually overwhelmed by grief, not to mention the difficult tasks of planning a funeral and handling their family member’s affairs. Consulting a lawyer is simply not on their radar.
Yet understanding your legal rights as a victim of drunk driving – whether you suffered injuries or the loss of a loved one – is important to your family’s future. The criminal justice system will handle the prosecution of a drunk driver, and the courts will determine what type of sentence that driver merits, including jail time, fines or both. However, the criminal case will not help you pay for mounting medical bills, lost income or the costs of a funeral – and that’s where the personal injury attorneys at the Belt Law Firm in Birmingham, AL can help. Contact us via email or call us toll free at 1-888-933-1514 for your Free Consultation.
Our legal staff has been representing families for almost 70 years, and we understand that you need to concentrate on recovery and grieving as a first priority. We can act as your family’s advocate to make sure that the drunk driver is held accountable for the damage done to you and your loved ones. Alabama law provides victims and their families several options for bringing personal injury claims in a drunk driving case, and the attorneys at the Belt Law Firm will consider all sources for compensation, including:
- Filing a claim against the drunk driver.
- Filing a claim against your own insurance policy for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage if the driver lacked adequate insurance.
- Filing a “dram shop claim” against a bar or restaurant that served alcohol to the driver if he or she was already intoxicated.
- Filing a claim against the homeowner who served alcohol to a minor.
- Filing a claim against a business that served alcohol to an intoxicated person at a company-sponsored event.
- Filing a claim against a store, bar or restaurant that sold or served alcohol to a minor.
It’s important to note the laws pertaining to minor drunk drivers – because many victims are hesitant to take legal action if the driver was underage. However, if the driver who caused your injuries was a minor, filing a claim does not mean you are attempting to sue a 16-year-old; you would file a claim against the party responsible for providing the alcohol. Even if it was a teenager who caused an accident while intoxicated, you may be able to sue the establishment that furnished or sold the liquor.
The damages you can expect to recover in a drunk driving case depend on the circumstances, but they may include:
- Economic damages including medical expenses, lost wages or earning ability.
- Non-economic damages including pain and suffering, lost quality of life and emotional distress.
- Physical impairment and disfigurement.
Whether you suffered injuries or the loss of a loved one due to a drunk driving accident, you do have legal rights and the Alabama personal injury attorneys at the Belt Law Firm are ready to stand behind you. We will evaluate your case to determine the appropriate legal steps and keep you involved every step of the way. We believe drunk drivers must be held accountable for their crimes – and for the tremendous suffering their reckless actions cause, and we will work hard to achieve justice on behalf of you and your family.
If you have been seriously hurt or lost a loved one from a drunk driving accident, call the Belt Law Firm to work with an experienced and dedicated attorney who cares about your case. Contact us via email or call us toll free at 1-888-933-1514 for your Free Consultation.
