It is perfectly expected to get angry when another person’s recklessness causes you or a family member to get hurt or killed in a Columbia DUI accident. Should you realize the fact that the person who caused the shocking auto accident was inebriated during the time, it’s worse yet – just how would somebody be so irresponsible? The only real reassurance is the awareness that there will be serious legal consequences and that it is possible to receive compensation for your damages and your pain.
Drunk Motorists Have Criminal Repercussions for Their Conduct in Columbia
Knowing that the intoxicated driver is going to face legal penalties may come as a bit of solace after the trauma of a Columbia DUI auto accident. If their BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) is over the legal limit with regard to their age category or occupation, then they may be charged with a drunk driving charge or DUI. The lawful blood alcohol content limit for someone who is over 21 years of age and isn’t a professional driver is .08%. The limit for a person that’s under 21 is .02%. The limit for a person that’s a commercial driver is .04%.
The effects of driving under the influence can actually follow someone for the remainder of their life, more often than not. It can stop them from being able to obtain certain job opportunities, it can cause them to lose their license, and it can lead to substantial fines and also jail. In some cases, the inebriated driver will be made to carry out a drug and alcohol treatment program. Those who are facing very first criminal offenses may be able to finish a treatment program and pay off fees without the need of having the arrest follow them forever.
Reimbursement After a Columbia DUI Accident
Knowing that the inebriated motorist will experience legal consequences makes you feel like there is a bit of justice in the world, but it will not cover your damages or injuries. To collect any sort of reimbursement for your injuries, costs, and distress, you will need to start a claim with the liable driver’s auto insurance policy. You may even have to start a lawsuit. Our Columbia DUI accident law firm can help with every step of the way.
Following a drunk driving automobile accident, you should call law enforcement officers, contact emergency medical assistance when necessary, acquire evidence (like pictures of the scene, wounds, and property damage), obtain the insurance policy and contact details of the driver, and obtain the contact details of eyewitnesses. Combined with the BAC of the motorist, all of the evidence which you accumulate allows you to prove liability and the number of your expenses.
Even when you did not have to contact urgent medical help, you have to see your doctor or visit the emergency room as soon as possible after the incident. Getting medical attention straight away will help you in multiple ways:
- Getting medical attention straight away ensures that you discover and treat wounds early on.
- Seeking medical attention straight away helps to ensure that no one can debate that your wounds were caused on another occasion by another event.
- Obtaining medical care right away ensures that you’re not considered partly responsible for the damages that could have been less serious with immediate treatment.
Your attorney can make it easier to establish your damages or injuries and liability, but your steps and dedication to accumulating and coordinating the evidence will help to establish each.
What Compensation Could You Receive After a DUI Accident in Columbia, SC?
It is possible to receive a variety of different types of compensation for your injuries, treatments such as those for car crash scars, debts, and damages after a Columbia drunk driving auto accident. You can obtain all your related medical costs, recover your lost income and any lost future earning potential, obtain compensation for property damage and pain (even emotional damage), and sometimes punitive damages, as well (meant to punish the inebriated driver). In instances where a fatality resulted from the accident, more damages could be owed to cover funeral/burial expenses, lost income of the deceased, and loss of companionship.
Contact Our Car Wreck Lawyers in Columbia At Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers to Find Out More
At Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers, we understand the difficulties and process of recovering compensation after a Columbia DUI accident, so give us a call to understand more about everything we are able to do to help you. If you or a loved one was hit or t-boned while turning left due to an intoxicated driver, we can help.
Proudly Serving In: Lexington | Columbia | Richland County | South Carolina
