Santa Ana DUI Accident Victim Attorneys
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Dedicated Santa Ana DUI Accident Victim Lawyers Ready To Advocate For The Injured
Traffic accidents that involve impaired drivers remain a problem in Santa Ana and across California. If you are suffering an injury after a drunk driving accident, you can ask skilled Santa Ana DUI accident victim attorneys to advocate on your behalf. Contact Arash Law at (888) 488-1391 or via our online chat feature to discuss your legal options. We are here to help.
Santa Ana is a beautiful city and the county seat of Orange County, California. As of 2022, it has a large population of 308,189, according to the United States Census Bureau. With that many drivers on the road, traffic accidents are bound to happen, but DUI accidents are entirely preventable. The lawyers at Arash Law have decades of experience helping injured Californians pursue the compensation they may need to move forward after a DUI traffic accident.
(No guarantee of outcome. Results displayed were dependent on unique facts of that case, and different facts will bring different results.)
How Dangerous Is Impaired Driving?
Drunk driving is dangerous and could cause severe injuries to victims. Across California, over nine years, 10,000 people lost their lives because of a drunk driver. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, impaired driving is responsible for 30 percent of all deadly accidents across the United States.
- Every year, about 1 million people are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the United States.
- In 2020, 62% of people who died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes were the alcohol-impaired drivers themselves; 38% were passengers of the alcohol-impaired drivers, drivers or passengers of other vehicles, or nonoccupants (such as pedestrians).
- Two hundred and thirty-nine children below the age of 14 died in crashes caused by alcohol-impaired drivers in 2020.
- Kids between 0 and 14 make up 21% of the children who were killed in traffic-related accidents.
More serious accidents might also leave families facing the loss of a loved one. In this case, they may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim. Contact a Santa Ana DUI accident attorney to discuss your options after a traffic crash.
Drunk Driving Laws In California
Drivers who get behind the wheel of a vehicle while impaired face significant legal penalties in California. A driver is considered under the influence of a substance if their blood-alcohol concentration level is 0.08 percent or higher.
If a driver is operating a commercial vehicle like an 18-wheeler truck, the driver cannot have a blood-alcohol concentration level higher than 0.04 percent. Due to the zero-tolerance law in California, drivers under the age of 21 may also face penalties if they are caught driving with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.01 percent or more.
What Can I Expect If I File A DUI Lawsuit?
It is easy to become overwhelmed when you start a lawsuit. That said, it may be helpful to understand the claims process and have an attorney who can guide you through the legal complexities and work to build a case on your behalf. Here is what you can expect from a DUI lawsuit.
First, the driver will be asked to pull over. They will be subjected to a blood or breath test to determine their level of intoxication. Unless the drunk driver needs emergency medical attention, if the driver’s blood-alcohol concentration level is above the legal limit, they will be arrested for impaired driving. The driver will likely be kept in custody overnight. If the driver is charged with driving under the influence, then a court date will be set.
After the court date, if the driver is convicted of impaired driving, then the impaired driver’s license is taken away, and they are given a temporary license that expires after 30 days. When 30 days expire, the impaired driver must contact the Department of Motor Vehicles and request a hearing regarding their license. If the driver fails to request a hearing about their license, it will be suspended. The driver cannot drive at all on a suspended license.
If you get into an accident with a drunk driver, you do not need to wait until the driver’s criminal matter is resolved to pursue civil legal liability. Our Santa Ana DUI accident attorneys can explain your rights and, if you have a case, help you pursue financial compensation while the impaired driver is awaiting trial.
How To Pursue Compensation After A DUI Accident?
To seek damages after a DUI accident, you must first find out who could be held responsible for compensating you. In DUI accident cases, there are many potentially responsible defendants. Potentially responsible parties in California DUI accidents include the following:
- The impaired driver.
- A bar or restaurant that overserved a patron.
- In rare cases defined by California law, a third party who furnished alcohol to the driver.
An attorney can identify each potentially responsible party and work to pursue accountability. Your Santa Ana personal injury attorney can investigate the facts surrounding your case to do so and may consult outside experts, like accident reconstructionists, to help support their findings.
Types Of Compensation Available After A Santa Ana DUI Accident
There is no excuse for driving while under the influence. If a DUI accident victim experiences losses due to an impaired driver, they may be entitled to seek compensation. Common types or categories of compensation that DUI accident victims seek include the following.
Medical Bills
Accident victims often have the right to seek compensation for current and future medical expenses associated with the accident. Depending on the severity of the accident, the victim of a DUI accident can have injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to death. The cost of medical treatment and emotional pain associated with your injuries can be factored in as part of a settlement’s potential value.
Property Damage
Driving under the influence can potentially result in property damage. If your vehicle is damaged in a DUI crash, you may be entitled to pursue the cost of repairs. If you suffered property damage due to a drunk driving accident, speak to experienced Santa Ana DUI accident attorneys about your options for seeking compensation.
Lost Wages
Some injuries are so severe that the victim may be unable to work and make money to provide for themselves or their families. After suffering an injury in a DUI accident, it can take days, weeks, or months to return to work. Some accident victims are unable to return to work or to the same type of work that they did before the accident. A part of holding drunk drivers accountable can involve working to have them pay for the lost income of their victims.
Pain & Suffering
The emotional anguish that comes from a drunk driving accident is potentially compensable. Impaired drivers could pay for the impact that they leave on your life due to their irresponsible actions. However, pain and suffering damages are sometimes difficult to prove. Dedicated Santa Ana DUI accident lawyers could work with doctors or economists to help quantify their potential value.
Wrongful Death
When a drunk driver kills a family member, surviving loved ones may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit to pursue compensation. This legal course of action aims to potentially compensate a family for the loss of their loved one’s income, loss of inheritance, or other financial losses from the death of a loved one.
How Much Is My Case Worth?
The potential value of your DUI car accident case depends on several factors. If you suffer significant injuries that require surgery or a lengthy hospital stay to treat, your settlement value may be more than that of an accident victim who suffers from cuts and bruises. Additionally, if you suffer from mental health conditions, like post-traumatic stress disorder, for example, then the value of your settlement may be higher than that of someone who does not suffer from that issue. However, these aren’t hard and fast rules. Other factors, such as the available evidence of your DUI crash and the at-fault party’s insurance policy limits, may impact the amount you’re eligible to pursue.
Speaking with an attorney can help you understand your rights and the estimated value of your case. If you have suffered an injury in a DUI traffic accident, consider consulting with an attorney to discuss your options.
Common Injuries After DUI Accidents
The type and extent of your injury will depend on the severity of the crash. Drunk driving accidents can be especially severe. An impaired driver’s loss of motor control and inhibition often leads to higher speeds and more forceful impacts. The following is a list of common injuries that DUI accident victims may face:
Cuts & Bruises
Cuts and bruises are common injuries after a traffic accident. While these may seem minor compared to other injuries, they could still require medical treatment and cause pain.
Brain Injuries
The potential for brain injuries is a serious consequence of DUI accidents. A brain injury can happen when a driver or passenger in a DUI accident hits their head on any part of the car or, in more serious cases, is thrown from the vehicle and hits their head on the road. The impact of the crash can make the injury more severe.
Impaired drivers are more likely to cause head-on collisions than sober drivers. Head-on collision accidents have a greater potential to cause brain injuries.
Broken Bones And Fractures
Traffic crashes are more likely to cause broken bones and fractures. Because drunk drivers usually have a decreased ability to maintain speed control, their ability to potentially cause serious injury increases.
Chest Injuries
Injuries to the chest typically happen when the airbag deploys during the accident. When an airbag deploys, the victim may suffer chest injuries, including a fractured sternum and ribs or even a collapsed lung. These may need extensive treatment to heal.
Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder injuries in DUI accidents can happen when an impaired driver runs a red light or blows through a stop sign and T-bones another driver. The driver is likely to slam into the door or suffer an injury from the seat belt. Examples of shoulder injuries include biceps tendinitis, shoulder impingement syndrome, and torn rotator cuffs.
Herniated Discs
A herniated disc is a common injury in DUI accident cases. Herniated discs in the back or neck cause severe pain and may require long-term physical therapy treatment. In some cases, these injuries necessitate lifelong care, with some patients having lower chances of making a full recovery.
What Should I Do After A DUI Accident?
The steps you take after a DUI accident are crucial. The following may help support your claim after an accident:
- Move Your Vehicle to Safety, If Possible — It is important to help avoid further injury by moving your vehicle to an area that does not impede traffic.
- Call 911 — If you or anyone else involved in the accident suffers an injury, call an ambulance and get emergency assistance immediately. California law requires that traffic accidents that involve bodily injury or death be reported to the police. When first responders arrive at the scene, make an accident report. The police report could help your attorney investigate your claim.
- Keep Notes — Memories can fade quickly after a traffic accident. To avoid losing the fine details, write down the sequence of events that led to your accident, like when and where it occurred.
- Document the Accident Scene, Your Injuries, and Any Property Damage — Take pictures of where traffic cameras and lights are located, intersections, and anything else that can help you remember the details of the accident.
- Ask for a Copy of the Police Report — Your attorney may want to review the police report to begin their investigation into the facts of your case.
- Contact an Attorney — Experienced Santa Ana DUI accident attorneys can help you understand your legal rights and options after a DUI crash. If you have a valid claim, we could also help you exercise your right to pursue compensation for your losses.
(No guarantee of outcome. Results displayed were dependent on unique facts of that case, and different facts will bring different results.)
How Much Insurance Coverage Do Drivers Need?
Each state requires a minimum amount of auto insurance coverage to drive legally. In California, every driver must carry the following minimum amounts for insurance coverage:
- $30,000 for the death or bodily injury of a single person.
- $60,000 for the death or bodily injury of multiple people.
- $15,000 for property damage
Can Santa Ana DUI Accident Attorneys Help Me?
Having an attorney working for you after a DUI accident can help you better understand and potentially go through the claims process, particularly if you don’t have prior legal experience. Santa Ana accident attorneys can review your case and use evidence, such as the following, to support your claim and address potential disputes that may arise as you pursue compensation:
- Medical bills and records.
- Traffic camera footage and video surveillance from the accident scene.
- Repair invoices and estimates.
- Testimony from eyewitnesses.
An attorney could help obtain this information more easily and use it to build your case after a DUI traffic crash. Our accident attorneys in Santa Ana can enlighten you about the filing process and more during the initial call and onboarding process.
How Much Do Santa Ana DUI Accident Victim Attorneys Charge?
How much you’re charged for legal representation depends on the specifics of your case. Here are a few factors that could influence the fees you might be asked to cover:
- The number of parties involved.
- Whether the case settles or goes to trial.
- The time and resources required to prepare your claim.
However, you likely won’t have to pay for such costs up front. Our Santa Ana DUI accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This payment arrangement allows clients to defer payment for an attorney’s services unless the case results in a settlement or verdict.
Contingency fee agreements aim to help injured people who may not otherwise be able to hire an attorney to pursue compensation. They ultimately strive to improve a victim’s access to legal representation after a DUI accident.
Although we work on a contingency fee basis, clients may still need to cover certain court costs or additional expenses.
Contact Arash Law’s Santa Ana DUI Accident Victim Attorneys
The effects of a DUI accident can be extensive and often last long after the moment of impact. The team at Arash Law has decades of experience helping injured clients navigate the claims system to pursue compensation after a DUI crash.
We offer personal injury representation throughout the greater Santa Ana area, including Irvine, Tustin, Garden Grove, and Anaheim, as well as major California cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Sacramento.
We provide clients with guidance throughout the process and support them as they pursue personal injury claims. Contact our office at (888) 488-1391 or via our online chat feature to discuss your legal options after a DUI accident and schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
We look forward to speaking with you.
