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What Are My Legal Options if I Was Hit by a Drunk Driver?

When inebriated, drivers act recklessly on the road, react more slowly to potential danger, and make poor decisions for their own and others’ safety. Unfortunately, drunk driving laws do not deter every driver in Charleston, South Carolina.

Our legal team at Rogers, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman LLC serves victims of drunk driving collisions all too often. If you need legal help, contact us today.

Can You File a Lawsuit Against the Drunk Driver?

If you get into a car accident with a drunk driver, you can pursue a civil case against that driver to recover damages related to your accident. This compensation includes calculable economic damages, such as medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost wages due to an inability to work, and non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and decreased quality of life.

South Carolina might also bring criminal charges against the driver to punish them for driving while drunk. Additionally, in May 2024, the legislature passed a law that mandates ignition interlock devices on the vehicles of everyone convicted of a past DUI.

Do You Need to Prove Liability?

South Carolina law mandates reporting a car accident in the case of injury, death, or property damage above $1,000. However, for drunk driving incidents, you have an additional incentive to call 911 as soon as possible.

To succeed in your DUI claim, you need to prove that the other driver’s intoxication directly led to the collision and caused your injuries. Generally, this will mean proving that their BAC exceeded legal limits during the crash. In other words, it is within your interest to get police on the scene as quickly as possible, so they can test the other driver’s blood alcohol levels via a breathalyzer or blood test and record their findings in the official police report.

Can You Sue Other Parties Besides the Drunk Driver?

South Carolina’s dram shop laws may allow you to sue the bar, restaurant, or social establishment that served alcohol to the at-fault driver. If you can prove through video recording or eyewitness testimony that the establishment in question observed signs of intoxication and still served alcohol to the drunk driver and then that that drunk driver caused your accident, you can bring a claim against the establishment.

Speak with the Charleston Car Accident Lawyers at Rogers, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman LLC for More Information

No one deserves to have their life upturned by the reckless decisions of others, especially in the case of a DUI. If you or a loved one needs legal help after a drunk driving crash, call the Charleston car accident lawyers at Rogers, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman LLC at 843-727-6500 or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Our Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Aiken, and Columbia, South Carolina offices serve DUI victims throughout the state.

How can we help? Fill out the form for a free case review.

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