Everyone knows that drunk driving kills. Yet, every day, people decide to get behind the wheel intoxicated and put others’ lives at risk. Those that survive this devastating accident are not free of the horrifying repercussions that can result either, as they often have to deal with debilitating injuries that can forever change their lives.
However, just because another person decided to drive home drunk after a night out at The Barn at Starkey Market, you should not have to deal with the disastrous consequences that can result on your own. Reach out to a New Port Richey drunk driving lawyer.
Rather, you need experienced legal help on your side, fighting for the damages and justice you deserve following a drunk driving accident. That is why Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm are here for you, ready to take on this legal battle on your behalf and go after the financial recovery you are entitled to.
The Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm The New Port Richey Drunk Driving Accident Law Firm You Need
For the last twenty years, the legal team at Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm have provided detailed and aggressive representation to ensure that their clients are treated fairly and can move on with their lives after their horrific accident. However, unlike other firms, our attorneys make sure to personally handle each case at every step of the legal process, ensuring that the clients get the attention their case needs and the respect they deserve.
As a result of this drive, hard work, and dedication, we have obtained millions of dollars on our clients’ behalf through jury verdicts and settlement awards, including a recent judgment of $3,000,000 for a drunk driving wrongful death accident.
Yet, even though we cannot guarantee these same results for every case we take on when you work with The Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm, you can trust that our team can fight hard for the maximum damages you deserve.
Drunk Driving By the Numbers
Every day, there are around 28 people that die in a drunk-driving accident in the United States. That is about one individual every 52 minutes. Yet, even though these drunk driving death figures have been trending down over the years, there are still over 10,140 people that lose their lives every year because of this preventable accident.
Worse yet, in Florida, these numbers do not fare any better. In fact, according to recent statistics:
- Every year there are around 814 deaths because of a drunk driving accident
- Approximately 26 percent of all motorist deaths are the result of alcohol-impaired collisions
- About 2.1 percent of individuals in the state report driving after drinking too much alcohol
Common Accidents as a Result of Drunk Driving in New Port Richey
Those that consume alcohol, even in small quantities, and then get behind the wheel can end up causing catastrophic accidents that result in devastating and debilitating injuries. This is because alcohol has been known to impact a motorist’s reaction time, coordination, and how they process information.
As a result, those who decide to drive while intoxicated have been known to make bad decisions that can impact many lives.
In New Port Richey, some of the more common crashes that often result because of drunk driving include:
- Head-on crashes: Alcohol reduces an individual’s capacity to see and comprehend traffic signals or signs, which can end up leading to deadly head-on collisions. In addition, drunk motorists have also been known to fall asleep as they are driving, resulting in their vehicle straying into oncoming traffic and causing a head-on crash.
- Rear-end accidents: These types of crashes often occur because a drunk driver misjudges the distance between them and another vehicle and cannot react quickly enough to stop when the motorist in front of them slows down or hits the breaks.
- Pedestrian collisions: Drunk drivers can’t always see pedestrians, especially in the dark, due to their impaired vision. That is why roadways such as US 19, known for poor lighting, few well-marked crossing areas, and lack of sidewalks, can contribute to deadly drunk driving collisions.
- Wrong-way accidents: A wrong-way crash often results when an intoxicated motorist accident turns down a one-way street heading in the wrong direction or enters a highway using the off-ramp rather than the on-ramp. Worse yet, because of their intoxicated state, these motorists may not even realize they are driving the wrong way until it is too late.
Yet, even though these are some of the more frequent crashes that occur because of drunk driving, they do not encompass every single type of crash that can result. For these reasons, if you have been injured in a drunk driving accident in New Port Richey, even if the cause is not indicated in the list above, reach out to a New Port Richey drunk driving accident lawyer, such as those at The Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm, as soon as possible. Our lawyers can review your accident, determine if you have a viable legal claim, and help you go after the compensation you are entitled to.
Common Injuries Resulting From a New Port Richey Drunk Driving Accident
Drunk driving accidents can result in horrifying injuries, ranging in severity and scope depending on the circumstances of the accident.
However, in general, some of the more common injuries that tend to result from this accident include:
- Traumatic brain trauma
- Spinal cord damage
- Facial injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Soft tissue injuries
- Broken bones
- Severe lacerations
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Wrongful death
Damages Available in a New Port Richey Drunk Driving Lawsuit
If you have been harmed in a drunk driving accident, you may be entitled to certain types of damages.
In Florida, this includes both economic and non-economic damages, such as:
- Past, current, and future medical bills including doctor visits, surgeries, hospital stay, and prescription medications
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Property damages
- Rehabilitative therapy
- In-home nursing care
- Other out-of-pocket costs
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of a limb
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of compassion
- Disfigurement and scarring
In addition, you may also be entitled to punitive damages. However, unlike the other damages, which are meant to compensate the victim for their losses following an accident, punitive damages are intended to punish the wrongdoer for their egregious actions and deter others from committing these acts in the future.
As a result, for a court to award these damages, the victim’s attorney must show that the defendant was guilty of intentional misconduct or gross negligence through clear and convincing evidence.
Steps to Take After a New Port Richey Drunk Driving Accident
As a victim of a drunk driving crash, you need to realize that the actions you take after this accident can not only protect your health and safety but your legal rights as well. For these reasons, following a New Port Richey drunk driving accident, you should consider the following steps: Call 911 Immediately After the Crash
Following the accident, you need to call 911 immediately. This is the quickest way to alert the authorities about the accident, get the accident on record, and notify emergency medical personnel that you or another person at the scene needs immediate medical help.
Once the authorities arrive at the scene, they can investigate and document their findings in the police report. If you decide to pursue legal action following the drunk driving accident, this report can provide your lawyer with helpful details regarding what happened and who was at fault.
#1. Gather Evidence After the Accident
If you do not require emergency medical treatment and the area is safe, try to gather as much evidence from the scene as you can. This should include photos and videos of your visible injuries, the vehicles involved in the accident, their placement on the road, traffic signs near the scene of the crash, skid marks on the street, the weather at the time of the accident, and any other evidence that can help show the other motorist was driving while intoxicated, such as their conduct or even alcohol bottles in the car.
#2. Get Information From Those Involved
Try to exchange information with the others involved in the crash, such as names, phone numbers, driver’s license numbers, and insurance information. However, if the other driver appears to be significantly intoxicated or becomes unruly, do not put yourself at risk of getting injured. Instead, stay in your car until the police get to the scene. They can get this information from the other driver and write it down in their police report.
#3. Talk to Witnesses
If there were people at the scene, who saw what happened, make sure you get their names and contact details. These individuals can provide your attorney with valuable information regarding the accident and help back up your claim.
Yet, as you talk to all these people, make sure you watch what you say. This means you want to avoid making any definitive statements about the incident, taking the blame for anything that occurred, or apologizing for the crash. These types of comments can come back and hurt you, affecting the amount of money you can receive for your damages.
#4. Get to a Doctor Quickly
Even if you believe your injuries are not that serious, you will still want to see a healthcare professional as soon as possible after a drunk driving accident. Many times, symptoms of a serious injury can take some time to show up. Yet, the longer you wait to get treatment, the more deadly the injury can become.
Plus, getting evaluated after your accident can help your legal claim, since following a crash, insurance companies will look for anything they can to deny your case. As a result, by delaying medical treatment, the insurer will argue that your injuries are not that serious or a result of a subsequent event.
Thankfully, when you get to a doctor after your accident, they can provide you with a medical report that can serve as a direct link between the drunk driving crash and the injuries you sustained.
#5. Hold on to Records
After the accident, you want to hold onto all the bills and reports associated with the drunk driving accident. These statements and documents can help your attorney go after the maximum compensation that you are entitled to.
Reach out to the Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm Today, and Go After the Justice You Deserve
After a New Port Richey drunk driving accident, the legal team at Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm are here to help you fight for the compensation you deserve. With years of experience handling these types of claims, we know what it takes to get you through this challenging ordeal and go after the financial recovery you need. Reach out to a New Port Richey personal injury lawyer.
To get you these results, we make sure to:
- Go over your accident with you in detail, evaluate your case, and determine which legal options you can pursue.
- Investigate the drunk driving incident, and gather the evidence needed to show what happened and who was at fault.
- Hold all the liable parties accountable for the damages and losses you suffered.
- Bring in the experts such as doctors and accident reconstructionists to substantiate your claim.
- Handle all the negotiations with the other side and go after the just compensation you need.
- Take your case to trial, if needed, and fight for a successful resolution to your lawsuit.
That is why, if you or a loved one was injured in a New Port Richey drunk driving accident, do not wait any longer to get the legal help you need. Instead, reach out to The Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm today at (727) 849-5353 for your free case consultation, and let our skilled lawyers show you how we can fight for you and your rights.