If you have been injured or lost a loved one in an accident caused by a drunk driver, you can seek compensation for your damages. DUI accidents often result in catastrophic injuries that devastate families.
At Seattle Injury Law, our drunk driving accident attorneys will fight to protect your rights and recover the full compensation you are entitled to.
Our Seattle personal injury attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience recovering maximum compensation for our clients, and we want to do the same for you.
Call (800) 928-5486 or visit our contact page and schedule a free consultation to discuss your Seattle DUI accident claim.
The Benefits of Choosing Seattle Injury Law
When your future and financial stability are on the line after a DUI-related crash, you need a legal team with proven results and a relentless approach. Here’s what you get when you choose to work with us:
- We know how to combat insurance companies’ tactics to devalue your claim. We stand up to them and demand full payment of your damages.
- We have an entire team that works to build your strongest case. Some of our attorneys were prior defense lawyers, so we have insider knowledge of how the other side will try to defend against your claim.
- We only handle your claim if we can help you recover maximum compensation for your damages.
- Our Seattle accident attorneys have recovered over $300 million for our clients.
Why Seattle DUI Accidents Cause Catastrophic Injuries
When drivers are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they no longer have the same ability to react and are at a much higher risk of causing an accident. They put themselves and everyone else on the road at grave risk.
Some driving tasks that are impacted by alcohol and drugs include:
- How fast they are driving
- Their reaction times are longer
- They have a reduced attention span
- How fast they can respond to sudden changes
- Their coordination is impaired
- They are unable to assess distance and risks adequately
- They become more drowsy behind the wheel
Drunk driving accidents are more likely to occur at high speeds. They are also more likely to involve direct impacts, such as head-on collisions and T-bone crashes.
Injuries Caused by Seattle Drunk Driving Accidents
An estimated one in ten DUI accidents results in a fatality. Victims of DUI accidents could include other drivers, your passengers, and those in different vehicles, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians.
When not fatal, some injuries suffered in Seattle DUI accidents include:
- Brain and head injuries
- Spinal cord damage, including paralysis
- Severed or severely mangled limbs that require amputation
- Crushed and broken bones
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Back and neck injuries
- Burns
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Facial injuries
- Post-traumatic stress disorder and other emotional injuries
Compensation For Seattle DUI Accident Injuries
The compensation you may recover depends on various factors, including the severity of your injuries and the available insurance coverage or other assets to pay for your damages. In a successful Seattle DUI accident claim, you may be able to recover economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are more straightforward to prove and quantify than non-economic damages. They include your current and future medical expenses, current and future lost wages, property damage, necessary modifications to your home and vehicle due to your injuries, and other costs incurred due to your accident.
Non-economic damages are more challenging to prove and quantify, but can be just as devastating as economic damages. They include pain and suffering, mental and emotional distress, scarring and disfigurement, permanent disability, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, and other intangible losses.
At Seattle Injury Law, our DUI attorneys help ensure all your damages are accounted for and accurately valued. We often work with medical and economic experts to help support your claim.
Liability in a Seattle Drunk Driving Accident
In addition to the intoxicated driver, others may be liable for your injuries. Some other potentially liable parties include the driver’s employer if the driver was on duty at the time of the accident, and the vehicle’s owner.
In some cases, you can file a claim against an establishment that sold the driver alcohol. Washington’s dram shop law may allow you to hold establishments responsible for damages caused by an intoxicated driver if the driver was obviously impaired when they served them or was under age.
Our attorneys and investigators scrutinize the facts of your accident to help identify all potentially liable parties and hold them accountable for your injuries.
Sources of Compensation in Seattle DUI Accident Claims
Depending on what parties are liable for your injuries, your compensation may be paid from these potential sources:
- The Washington driver’s mandatory liability coverage (which should be at least $25,000 per injured party, $50,000 for multiple parties, and $10,000 for property damage).
- Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
- The driver’s employer or their insurer, if the driver was on duty at the time of the accident.
- The establishment that sold the alcohol, if Washington’s dram law covers the facts of your case.
- The driver, vehicle owner, or the employer’s financial assets.
Statute of Limitations for Seattle DUI Accident Claims
The statute of limitations is the law that sets a deadline for filing a claim to recover compensation. If you miss your deadline, you cannot recover compensation.
The Washington statute of limitations for filing a DUI accident injury claim is three years from the date of the injury.
If the injured victim dies because of their injuries, the decedent’s personal representative may file a wrongful death action (4.20.010), which also has a filing deadline of three years from the date of death. In these cases, our Seattle wrongful death attorneys can help you navigate the legal system.
There are rare exceptions to the three-year filing deadline. You must consult an experienced Seattle DUI attorney promptly to determine your filing deadline.
Why You Need a Seattle DUI Accident Attorney
Hiring an experienced, skilled Seattle DUI attorney will significantly improve your chances of recovering full injury damages.
Your attorney can investigate the accident to identify all potentially liable parties and gather essential evidence to support your claim. They will help ensure your current and future damages are included and accurately valued when determining a fair settlement of your claim.
They can negotiate a fair settlement of your claim as quickly as possible and take your claim to court if a fair settlement is not reached.
When represented by an experienced Seattle drunk driving accident attorney with a proven record of success, you can focus on recovering from your injuries and have peace of mind knowing that your injury claim is being taken care of.
Reach Out to Seattle Injury Law Today
At Seattle Injury Law, our DUI injury attorneys know how to handle your Seattle car accident claim and identify all parties that may be liable for your injuries. We will work tirelessly to uncover the best evidence to support your claim and demand full compensation for your damages.
Our attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience recovering maximum compensation for our clients, and we want to help you get the justice and financial award you deserve. Call (800) 928-5486 or visit our contact page and schedule a free consultation to discuss your claim.