Hit by a drunk driver in the Bronx?

Our car accident attorneys can hold them accountable

If you were injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, a lawyer can make them answer for their negligence and demand full compensation for your damages. For more than 30 years, Giampa Law has been winning cases for personal injury victims in the Bronx and throughout New York City. Learn how an experienced attorney can help with your drunk driving accident claim. Contact us today for a free consultation.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), every year in the U.S. more than 10,000 people are killed in drunk driving car accidents, while thousands of others are injured. Annually, drunk driving results in billions of dollars in damages, which is just one reason why there are such strong efforts consistently being made across the nation to promote awareness and responsible driving.

Despite those efforts, there are still a lot of irresponsible people who make the choice to drive under the influence of alcohol and end up seriously injuring or killing innocent victims in preventable crashes.

Alcohol severely hinders your ability to drive safely, which is why you should always have a plan to prevent getting behind the wheel of a car after you’ve been drinking. Whether you have a designated driver to drive you to your destination or you use a rideshare service, such as Uber or Lyft, there are plenty of other choices you can make instead of driving drunk.

How do drunk drivers cause accidents?

There are many types of accidents caused by drunk driving. Some of the most common ways a drunk driver can cause a crash include:

• Not stopping at a traffic signal and causing a red-light accident
• Rear-ending another driver due to delayed reaction times
• Going through a stop sign and causing an intersection accident
• Hitting someone head-on due to drifting over the center line and into the opposite lane
• Driving the wrong way down a one-way street or highway ramp
• Falling asleep at the wheel
• Going too fast and causing a speeding accident
• Failing to yield
• Making an illegal turn
• Hitting a pedestrian or bicyclist

If you were rear-ended by a drunk driver, hit head-on, T-boned, or lost a loved one, you need legal representation. No matter what the circumstances are of your crash involving a drunk driver, remember that you have rights – and our lawyers can protect those rights.

What should I do if I’m hit by a drunk driver?

If you or a loved one has been injured in a drunk driver accident in New York, it’s critical that you take certain steps right away to protect your health and your rights:

• Contact the police immediately and tell them you have been in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Depending on the location of your accident, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer or New York State Police trooper will respond to your accident.
• Stay in your vehicle until the police arrive. Drunk drivers can be very unpredictable and sometimes even violent. Don’t put yourself in a potentially dangerous situation.
• If someone saw your accident, get their name and phone number. Statements from eyewitnesses can be important pieces of evidence.
• Take photos of your accident. Make sure to take pictures of the point of impact between the two vehicles before moving them if possible.
• Give your contact information (name, address, phone number, driver’s license number, insurance information) to the investigating police officer.
• Do not talk to the other driver. Drunk drivers can be aggressive and dangerous.
• Don’t discuss your accident with anyone other than the investigating police officer. Anything you say could later be used as evidence to deny your injury claim.
• Make sure to get the investigating police officer’s badge number so you can contact them later if necessary. You may need to contact them to get a copy of your official New York car accident report.
• Have a medical professional examine you right away. Even if you feel fine, you could have a life-threatening serious injury.
• Schedule a follow-up appointment with a doctor a few days after your accident. Many car accident injuries (including whiplash and concussions) take time to develop after a car crash.
• Contact your insurance company and tell them you have been involved in a crash caused by a drunk driver.
• Call an experienced New York City car accident lawyer right away. The sooner you have an attorney handling your case, the better.

Can I sue a drunk driver that hit me in New York?

Under New York law, if you got injured in a crash caused by a drunk driver, to pursue a lawsuit you must have sustained a “serious injury.” What qualifies as a serious injury can sometimes be confusing, which is why you should consider speaking to a personal injury lawyer about your case.

Generally speaking, you might be entitled to compensation for:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Replacement services (e.g., housekeeping, childcare)
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Punitive damages
• Wrongful death (for immediate family members of fatal drunk driving accident victims)

A practical way to see if you have a case and uncover how much it might be worth is to contact our law firm right away for a free consultation. Our attorneys can review the details of your case, explain your legal options, answer your questions, and help you figure out what steps to take next.

How can a drunk driving accident attorney help me?

If a drunk driver injured you or a loved one in a crash, a Bronx car accident lawyer can help you pursue maximum compensation for your damages. An experienced personal injury attorney can:

• Carry out a comprehensive investigation into your crash.
• Acquire and analyze results from the at-fault driver’s blood tests to show their blood alcohol content at the time of the crash.
• Review police reports.
• Seek out and interview eyewitnesses.
• Find any surveillance video/traffic cameras that may have recorded your crash.
• Preserve and organize critical pieces of evidence.
• Consult with top accident-reconstruction experts.
• Handle all settlement negotiations.
• File a lawsuit and represent you in court, if your case qualifies.

There is no single average settlement for a drunk driving accident. It all depends on the strength of your case, and only an attorney can tell you what your case is worth.

Demand justice with an experienced attorney

You shouldn’t ever expect to get hit and injured by someone driving under the influence of alcohol – but if it happens, one of the best decisions you can make is to get the help of an experienced attorney to aggressively advocate for your best interests.

You don’t have to fight this battle on your own. Our lawyers have the knowledge and experience to handle every aspect of your claim and know what it takes to get you real results. Whether it’s through a negotiated cash settlement or a jury verdict, we will fight to get you the compensation you need and deserve.

Best of all, we work for our clients on a contingency fee basis. Put differently, that means there are no upfront costs and you pay nothing unless we win. See what an experienced Bronx car accident attorney can do for your drunk driving accident claim. Contact us today for a free consultation.