When it comes to the laws and guidelines that pertain to drunk driving, they are very clear and very strict, yet thousands of people drive drunk every year, causing untold amounts of damage in the process, including property damage and wrongful death cases.
If you were injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver in New York, you may be able to recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and more in a personal injury lawsuit. This may be true regardless of whether the driver responsible for your accident received a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) citation.
A New York drunk driving accident lawyer from Morelli Law Firm may be able to protect your rights and seek any damages you may be entitled to.
For a free consultation on your case with a member of our team, call us at (212) 751-9800.
How Morelli Law Firm Can Help You After a New York Drunk Driving Accident
When your partner with Morelli Law Firm, a New York drunk driving accident lawyer from our firm can handle the legal work of your case while you concentrate on recovering from your injuries.
This can allow us to:
- Answer your questions and discuss possible outcomes
- Conduct your case in compliance with New York laws
- Handle all communications on your behalf
- Manage all legal deadlines and paperwork in your case
- Identify the liable party
- Gather evidence of their liability and the extent of your damages
- Hire accident reconstruction and medical experts to testify in your defense
- Negotiate with the responsible party’s insurance company for a settlement
- Take your case to trial if they are not willing to make you a fair offer
To learn more about these services, call Morelli Law Firm today.
Drunk Driving Stats and Legal Limits
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one person in the United States is killed every hour in an accident involving a drunk driver. Over the course of a year, this can amount to over 10,000 deaths and over $40 billion in damages.
Alcohol impairs thinking, reasoning, and muscle coordination. It can slow reaction times and predispose a person to take more risk. Alcohol is absorbed directly into the body from the stomach very quickly and can impair your cognitive abilities within minutes.
At high speeds, a delay of even a few seconds in responding to changes in traffic conditions can cause a vehicle to travel much further than it would have had the driver been able to make appropriate changes to speed or direction if he or she was not impaired.
Blood Alcohol Content levels, or BAC, are used to determine the maximum amounts of alcohol in the bloodstream at which it is legal to drive. For most states, these levels are as follows:
- A BAC of 0.08% for drivers over age 21 operating a noncommercial vehicle such as a car
- A BAC of 0.04% for drivers over age 21 operating a commercial vehicle such as a truck
In New York, drivers whose BAC levels meet or exceed these limits may be charged with DWI. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles provides a detailed schedule of the rules and laws that pertain to alcohol consumption and the BAC levels that are used to determine violations. These rules include the BAC levels outlined above, as well as details on the state’s zero-tolerance policy when it comes to underage drinking and driving and refusal to undergo testing on the scene of an accident.
If you were injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver in New York, you may be able to recover compensation in a personal injury lawsuit, regardless of any criminal penalties that the intoxicated driver may or may not face.
New York Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
Proving Liability in a Drunk Driving Accident Case
You do not need to prove that the driver that caused your accident was intoxicated to recover compensation in a personal injury case. Liability in these cases is based on harm caused by a negligent act. A negligent act in a car crash can be a simple violation of a traffic law, such as running a red light, and illegal lane change, or a failure to yield.
If the at-fault driver in your case did receive a DWI, this may be used as evidence in your case, but it is not the only way you can prove their liability.
Proving your case may involve interviewing eyewitnesses to the accident, collecting photos from the crash, and obtaining dashcam or traffic surveillance footage.
A New York drunk driving accident lawyer from Morelli Law Firm may also be able to hire accident reconstruction experts to testify in your defense when we represent you.
To learn more, call Morelli Law Firm today at (212) 751-9800.
Recoverable Damages in a New York Drunk Driving Accident Case
If you are able to prove that the drunk driver was responsible for your injuries, you may be able to recover the following damages in a personal injury lawsuit:
- Costs of all medical care related to the accident
- Estimated future costs of medical care
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- And more
Call Morelli Law Firm Today
A New York drunk driving accident lawyer from Morelli Law Firm may be able to help you safeguard your interests and pursue any damages that the law allows. To get started, call us now at (212) 751-9800 for a free consultation on your case with a member of our team.
Morelli Law Firm may be able to handle your case on a contingency-fee basis, where we do not collect attorney’s fees unless and until you recover compensation via a settlement offer or court awards.