DRUNK DRIVER ACCIDENT LAWYER IN BRONX

Since 2013, Shulman & Hill Injury Lawyers has represented injured New Yorkers and families whose lives have been changed by preventable crashes. Our Bronx drunk driver lawyers bring more than 200 years of combined experience to cases involving drivers impaired by alcohol, drugs, or both.

When we handle your case, we investigate the collision, identify every party that may be responsible, deal with the insurance companies, and pursue payment for the full effect of your injuries. We understand how a criminal DWI investigation may affect a civil injury claim, but we do not rely on the criminal case to do our work for us.

Contact us to schedule a free consultation with a Bronx car accident lawyer and learn how we can help you move forward.

Why Drunk Driving Accident Claims Require a Focused Investigation

A crash involving an impaired driver may produce evidence that is not present in an ordinary car accident case. Police officers may conduct field sobriety tests, request a chemical test, record statements, collect body camera footage, or arrest the driver for DWI or another offense.

A criminal prosecution and a personal injury claim are separate legal proceedings. The prosecutor handles the criminal case on behalf of the state. We bring the civil claim on your behalf to seek compensation for your injuries and financial losses.

A criminal conviction may support a civil case, but you do not always need a conviction to pursue compensation. Our Bronx personal injury lawyers conduct our own investigation and gather evidence showing:

• How the collision happened.
• Why the impaired driver was responsible.
• The nature and extent of your injuries.
• How the injuries have affected your work and daily life.
• The medical care and financial support you may need in the future.

How a Bronx Drunk Driver Lawyer Can Help You

Insurance companies may contact you soon after the collision. An adjuster may ask for a recorded statement, request access to your medical history, or offer a settlement before you know how long your recovery will take.

We take over those communications and protect you from pressure to accept less than your claim may be worth. Our Bronx drunk driver attorneys investigate the facts, review the available insurance coverage, and prepare a claim supported by medical and financial evidence.

Depending on your circumstances, we can:

• Obtain police reports, photographs, video footage, and witness statements.
• Review arrest information, chemical test records, and evidence of drug or alcohol use.
• Examine vehicle damage, electronic vehicle data, and roadway evidence.
• Gather medical records and consult with your treatment providers.
• Document lost wages, reduced earning ability, and future care needs.
• Identify insurance policies held by the driver, vehicle owner, or employer.
• Handle settlement negotiations with the insurance companies.
• File a lawsuit and prepare the case for trial when a fair resolution is not offered.

Evidence We May Use in a Bronx Drunk Driving Accident Claim

Evidence can be lost, erased, or overwritten soon after a crash. Surveillance systems may automatically delete recordings, vehicles may be repaired, and witnesses may become harder to find.

Our legal team may seek evidence from several sources.

Police and DWI Investigation Records

Police evidence may include:

• The police accident report.
• Officer observations and notes.
• Body camera or dashboard camera footage.
• Field sobriety test information.
• Breath, blood, urine, or saliva test results.
• Evidence that the driver refused chemical testing.
• Statements made by the driver or witnesses.
• Arrest and charging records.

An arrest alone does not decide the civil case. We review the available records alongside the other evidence to establish negligence and causation.

Crash Scene and Vehicle Evidence

We may also collect:

• Traffic camera and business surveillance footage.
• Photographs of the vehicles and collision scene.
• Skid marks, debris, and roadway measurements.
• Vehicle event data or electronic records.
• Cellphone records when distracted driving may also have contributed.
• Repair estimates and vehicle inspection findings.

Medical and Financial Documentation

Proving fault is only one part of an injury claim. We must also show what the collision has cost you.

Medical records, diagnostic imaging, employment records, tax documents, treatment plans, and testimony from medical or financial professionals may help establish your damages.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Drunk Driving Crash?

The impaired driver is often the primary defendant, but other parties may share legal responsibility. We review the driver’s work status, vehicle ownership, insurance coverage, and alcohol source to determine whether additional claims are available.

The Impaired Driver

A driver who causes a collision while impaired may be liable for the injuries and losses caused by negligent driving. The civil claim can proceed separately from any DWI charge or prosecution.

The Vehicle Owner

Under New York law, a vehicle owner may be responsible for injuries caused by someone who operated the vehicle with the owner’s express or implied permission. This can provide another path to insurance coverage when the impaired driver did not own the vehicle.

The Driver’s Employer

An employer may be liable when an employee caused the crash while performing job duties. We examine work schedules, delivery records, company communications, vehicle records, and other evidence showing what the driver was doing at the time.

A Bar, Restaurant, or Alcohol Seller

New York’s Dram Shop Act may allow an injured person to bring a claim against a business that unlawfully sold alcohol and contributed to the driver’s intoxication. These claims may arise when alcohol was unlawfully sold to a person who was visibly intoxicated or to someone under the legal drinking age.

Dram shop liability does not apply simply because a driver consumed alcohol at a business before the crash. We must investigate who provided the alcohol, whether the sale was unlawful, and whether it contributed to the intoxication that led to your injuries.

Compensation Available After an Impaired Driving Accident

The value of a claim depends on your injuries, your recovery, the available insurance coverage, and the ways the collision has changed your life.

Compensation may include payment for:

• Medical treatment and hospital care.
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation.
• Medication and medical equipment.
• Future medical care.
• Lost wages and employment benefits.
• Reduced future earning ability.
• Pain and suffering.
• Emotional distress.
• Scarring or disfigurement.
• Loss of enjoyment of life.
• Property damage and other accident-related expenses.

Insurance companies may focus on your earliest medical bills while giving too little attention to future treatment, lasting limitations, or the effect of the injuries on your work and family.

Our lawyers prepare a damages claim that accounts for both your current losses and the harm you are likely to face later.

Speak With a Drunk Driver Attorney in Bronx Today

An impaired driver’s choices can leave you carrying medical debt, lost income, physical pain, and long-term uncertainty. You should not have to accept an insurer’s version of what your injuries are worth.

Shulman & Hill will review the collision, explain your legal options, and determine which drivers, owners, employers, businesses, and insurance carriers may be responsible.

Contact us today for a free consultation with a drunk driver attorney in the Bronx. There is no fee unless we recover compensation for you.