Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
Shulman & Hill has represented injured New Yorkers since 2013. With more than 200 years of combined legal experience and over $1 billion recovered, our Greenburgh drunk driver lawyers help injured drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, workers, and families pursue claims after serious alcohol-related crashes.
Contact Shulman & Hill for a free consultation. Our car accident lawyers in Greenburgh can identify available insurance and protect your no-fault benefits.
How Our Greenburgh Drunk Driver Lawyers Build Your Case
We start with the facts that affect recovery, including how the crash happened, whether alcohol or drugs played a role, what insurance exists, how badly you were hurt, and whether any business unlawfully provided alcohol before the crash.
Our work may include:
- Opening and managing no-fault claims.
- Reviewing insurance policies.
- Securing police and criminal case records.
- Preserving video evidence.
- Interviewing witnesses.
- Investigating alcohol service.
- Gathering medical records and wage proof.
- Preparing settlement demands.
- Filing suit when insurers refuse fair payment.
- Taking the case to trial when needed.
Our personal injury lawyers in Greenburgh handle the legal pressure so you can focus on treatment, work, and your family.
What Makes a Drunk Driving Crash Different
New York law prohibits driving while intoxicated, aggravated driving while intoxicated, and driving while impaired by drugs or a combination of alcohol and drugs. A criminal charge can support your injury claim, but your civil case is separate from the prosecution.
The Criminal Case Is Not Your Only Path
The district attorney decides whether to prosecute the driver. Your injury claim focuses on how the crash harmed you and what compensation is available under New York law.
You do not need to wait for a conviction before pursuing no-fault benefits, a bodily injury claim, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, or a dram shop claim. Evidence of impairment can still help prove fault even while the criminal case is pending.
The Civil Standard Is Different
A criminal DWI case requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt. A civil injury case uses a lower standard. That means a driver may avoid conviction and still be held financially responsible for injuries caused by careless or impaired driving.
Our Greenburgh drunk driver attorneys monitor the criminal case when it can help your claim, but we do not let your recovery depend on the prosecutor’s timeline.
How No-Fault Benefits Apply After a Drunk Driving Crash
New York no-fault coverage can pay for medical care, a portion of lost wages, and certain reasonable expenses, regardless of who caused the crash. This coverage is usually the first source of payment after a motor vehicle collision.
No-fault does not mean the drunk driver gets a pass. It only means your basic benefits may begin before fault is decided.
No-Fault Deadlines Move Fast
In most cases, written notice of a no-fault claim must be filed within 30 days. Medical bills are generally due within 45 days of treatment, and proof of lost wages is generally due within 90 days.
We identify the correct no-fault insurer, prepare the required forms, and help coordinate medical and wage documentation. If you were working when the crash happened, we will also review whether workers’ compensation benefits apply.
When You Can Sue the Drunk Driver
New York’s no-fault law limits lawsuits for pain and suffering unless the injured person meets the serious injury threshold.
That threshold can include fractures, significant disfigurement, death, significant limitation, or a medically determined injury that prevents you from performing all of your usual daily activities substantially for at least 90 of the first 180 days after the crash.
A lawsuit may also be available when your economic losses exceed the basic no-fault limits.
Damages You May Be Able To Recover
The available damages depend on your injuries, insurance coverage, liability proof, and whether your claim meets New York’s legal requirements.
Your claim may include:
- Medical expenses.
- Future medical care.
- Lost wages.
- Reduced earning ability.
- Pain and suffering.
- Physical limitations.
- Scarring or disfigurement.
- Rehabilitation costs.
- Out-of-pocket expenses.
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
If a loved one died in a drunk driving crash, the personal representative of the estate may bring a wrongful death claim. Recoverable damages may include funeral expenses, medical expenses tied to the fatal injury, lost financial support, and other financial losses recognized by New York law.
Punitive Damages in Drunk Driving Cases
Most injury claims focus on compensating the injured person. In some drunk driving cases, punitive damages may also be requested to punish and deter conduct that goes far beyond ordinary negligence.
Punitive damages are not automatic. Courts look at the specific conduct involved. Facts that may support a punitive damages claim can include extremely high intoxication, prior DWI history, reckless driving before impact, fleeing the scene, driving with a suspended license, or other aggravating conduct.
Our drunk driver attorneys in Greenburgh can review whether punitive damages should be included, but we do not rely on them as a substitute for proving the full value of your medical, wage, and injury losses.
Why Injured New Yorkers Choose Shulman & Hill
Shulman & Hill is a New York injury firm built for the workers, families, and communities we represent. Our clients include drivers, passengers, public-sector employees, transit workers, healthcare workers, construction workers, delivery workers, pedestrians, and cyclists hurt by dangerous drivers.
We are not a volume-based claim shop. We investigate deeply, prepare every claim with litigation in mind, and pursue every available source of recovery. That approach is especially valuable when a drunk driver causes serious harm, and insurers try to control the claim.
New York, We Got You.
Speak With a Greenburgh Drunk Driver Attorney Today
If a drunk driver injured you, do not wait for the criminal case to finish before protecting your claim. Insurance notices, no-fault forms, medical proof, wage documentation, and dram shop evidence all need attention early.
Call Shulman & Hill today for a free consultation. We will review what happened, explain your options under New York law, and tell you how we can help pursue the recovery available to you.
