Injured in a Drunk Driving Accident in Kentucky? You Have Rights.
An experienced Driving Under the Influence (DUI) accident lawyer knows how to gain every advantage for you in a case against a driver under the influence of alcohol. Every day, the lawyers at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer stand up for Kentuckians and West Virginians hurt on the roads.
We bring Kentucky Courage™ and West Virginia Values to your claim.
Need help with your property damage claim? If you become a car wreck injury client, we can handle it for free!
When you find out the driver who hurt you in a car accident was drunk, you’re angry.
You should be angry.
Their reckless behavior disrupted your life. They should have to pay for your injury and distress.
With a personal injury claim against someone who was driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), you can make the driver and their insurance company pay what’s fair, so you can get beyond this traumatic experience.
But drunk driving accidents are different from regular car accidents. They come with special considerations.
How Car Accidents with Drunk Drivers Are Different
DUI crashes often involve not just a civil suit—your personal injury claim—but a criminal case as well.
In Kentucky and West Virginia, drivers face criminal charges if their blood alcohol level reaches .08 or higher. Drunk drivers can face $1,000 in fines and up to a year in prison, depending on the number of offenses.
They also face suspension or revocation of their driver’s licenses. Or they face court orders to use devices requiring clear breath tests before their cars will start.
Your compensation comes from a civil lawsuit that you can file in addition to the criminal charges the other driver faces.
You can pursue two kinds of payment after a DUI accident:
- Compensatory Damages: This is money for medical costs, lost wages, emotional distress, and other losses you suffered beyond what insurance companies paid.
- Punitive Damages: This is payment for you that also serves as punishment for the drunk driver.
Drunk driving crashes happen every day in America. You need a DUI accident attorney who understands the special circumstances involved when a drunk driver hits you—and protects your rights under the law.
Tell Us About Your Case.
What You Should Do After a Car Accident with a Driver Under the Influence of Alcohol
We know car crashes are frightening. Even if you’re a level-headed person, it can be hard to think clearly immediately afterward.
You still need to get proper documentation, from the damage to your vehicle to the names and numbers of the parties involved.
If you’re in an accident with a drunk driver—or any accident—here’s what you should do:
- Pause and take a deep breath or two.
- Always check for injuries first.
- Notify the police, so you’ll have an accident report on file.
- Move your car to the side of the road if it’s possible and safe.
- Flip on your car’s emergency lights and set out cones if you have them.
- Take notes about the accident, including the behavior of the other driver, location, and damage to the vehicle.
- Get contact information from witnesses.
- Get contact and insurance information from the other driver.
- Be polite and cooperative. Don’t lose your cool.
- When discussing the accident with law enforcement, be as factual as possible.
- Take pictures of the scene and damage.
- Notify your insurance provider, but don’t sign anything until you talk to a lawyer.
After an accident with a drunk driver, you have a lot of questions. Who will pay your medical bills? For your vehicle? How do you file a claim?
At Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer we believe in keeping you informed, so you know where you stand. And we fight to get you maximum compensation, so when a drunk driver hurts you, your recovery is both physical and financial. We have ten offices located across Kentucky in Lexington, Somerset, Manchester, London, Hazard, Paducah, Paintsville, Prestonsburg and Princeton.
