Were You Hit By a Drunk Driver in Fresno?
Drunk drivers are not thinking of their own health and safety when they get behind the wheel – and they certainly aren’t thinking of yours! If you were hit by a drunk driver, then you need to think about filing a personal injury claim against them to get as much compensation for your injuries and damages as possible. Sometimes the only way to correct someone’s egregiously dangerous behavior is to target their wallets by raising their insurance premiums with a lawsuit.
BD&J, PC and our Fresno drunk driving accident lawyers are here to help you make the most of your claim after a drunk driver slammed into you. We are passionate about doing what is best for our clients and our communities by holding drunk drivers accountable through claims and lawsuits. In our many years of practice experience, we have secured multiple multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts, totaling more than $2 Billion* recovered for our clients. With so much history and experience behind us, you can trust us to manage your case as well.
Drunk Driving is Not Automatic Liability
We must stress that a drunk driver is not automatically and fully liable for any accidents that they are involved in. Liability must always be established and proven, even when it seems like the drunk driver is obviously the one who caused the crash. Do not sit back and assume that the insurance companies will agree that you are not liable for your accident and that you should get the maximum amount of compensation. Insurers will always try to find ways to defend their policyholders and avoid payouts. You could be stuck with huge bills and even bigger regrets because you assumed too much about your case!
To avoid weakening your drunk driving accident claim with inaction, get our skilled attorneys and litigators on your side as soon as possible. We answer the phone 24/7/365, so dial (855) 906-3699 right away.
Damages in Drunk Driving Accident Claims
What is the value of your drunk driving accident claim? The answer will depend on many factors that make your claim unique. For example, your age and overall health could change the damages owed to you based on the medical treatments you need. There are simply too many small details that can change the value of your claim to predict it accurately.
What you can know upfront is that our attorneys will be committed to uncovering as many available damages as possible to maximize the amount owed to you. We also know where to look for additional insurance policies that might be relevant, effectively increasing the amount of compensation you can receive before hitting an insurance cap.
There are three types of damages to consider in a drunk driving accident claim:
- Compensatory: Damages related to tangible losses like medical bills, property damage, and lost wages are compensatory damages. We will want to calculate future compensatory – or special – damages, too, like medical treatment costs far into the future.
- General: Damages that are more difficult to translate into a dollar amount are general damages. Pain, suffering, loss of independence or mobility, and shortened life expectancy are all common forms of general damages.
- Punitive: Damages used to punish the drunk driver for committing a crime that resulted in someone else’s severe injury are punitive damages. Courts can assign punitive damages but do so infrequently.
Standing Up for Our Clients When They’re Knocked Down
You are probably feeling down and out of luck since being in a crash caused by an intoxicated driver. The last thing you should do is frustrate yourself further by going head-to-head with stubborn insurance companies. Let our Fresno drunk driving accident attorneys take your claim and manage it on your behalf, so you can focus on giving yourself the time you need to recover and get back on your feet again.
