Accident With a Drunk Driver

Drunk driving accidents are both tragic and preventable. Poor decision making and irresponsible behavior lead to devastating injuries and deaths. According to the Department of Law & Public Safety of New Jersey, alcohol-related accidents are often fatal, with 20% of fatal accidents involving a driver with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher.

If you were injured or lost a family member in an accident with a drunk driver in New Jersey, you may be entitled to recover damages, like medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Reach out to Shulman & Hill today at 908.224.5361 to learn more about how we can assist you. We offer free consultations.

Our Lawyer Can Help You After an Accident With a Drunk Driver in New Jersey

Insurance companies may try to shift the blame for the car accident and bog you down with paperwork. The hassle might feel like too much while you are recovering from your injuries or mourning the loss of a family member.

Allow our personal injury lawyers to go to bat for you while you focus on yourself. They can help you by:

• Investigating the accident: Our lawyer can conduct an independent investigation into your accident with a drunk driver in addition to engaging in investigations by the police and insurance companies. We can gather evidence, such as toxicology reports, photos and video footage, and eyewitness statements, showing that the other driver was drunk and caused the accident.
• Build a case for compensation: A thorough estimate of your losses is crucial to obtaining fair compensation. We will build a case based on your medical bills and records, past wage statements, and expert medical testimony.
• Filing an insurance claim: Filing an insurance claim can be burdensome. It requires a lot of paperwork and legwork, as you may have to submit receipts and records from every medical provider who treated you. We can track down the receipts and records for you, complete the paperwork, and file the claim on your behalf.
• Negotiating an out-of-court settlement: Our lawyer may negotiate an out-of-court settlement with the insurance provider of the drunk driver responsible for your accident. We can help you evaluate any settlement offers from the insurance company to ensure you recover a fair amount.
• Filing a lawsuit: Our lawyer can pursue all avenues of compensation and file a lawsuit against the drunk driver who caused your accident while concurrently negotiating an out-of-court settlement.
• Providing responsive legal care: Recovering damages after an accident can be exhausting and stressful. You may feel unsure about what to do or at the mercy of the insurance companies. Our lawyer can keep you updated about the progress of your case, promptly respond to your questions, and advise you on the best path forward at every step.

How Much Compensation You Can Seek After an Accident With a Drunk Driver

Every case is different, as its value depends on factors such as the extent of your injuries, the value of your current and predicted medical expenses, and how the accident affected your ability to work and your quality of life overall.

Some of your losses may be for direct expenses, such as medical bills, while others are less tangible, like your physical pain or emotional suffering. You may be able to recover damages for the following:

• Medical expenses, including ambulance bills, emergency room visits, diagnostic imaging, surgeries, follow-up care, hospital stays, prescription medications, and rehabilitative therapies such as speech, occupational, and physical therapies
• Future medical expenses for anticipated procedures, such as surgeries, or ongoing care, such as rehabilitative therapies or assistance with activities of daily living, that you require because of your injuries
• Loss of income, including wages, tips, or salary that you missed while you were out of work because of your injuries
• Future loss of income for wages, tips, or salary that you will miss because your injuries prevent you from returning to work temporarily or permanently
• Pain and suffering for the physical and emotional trauma you experienced and will continue to experience because of the accident with a drunk driver

Wrongful Death Damages After an Accident With a Drunk Driver 

If you lost a family member in an accident with a drunk driver, you may be able to recover damages for wrongful death for:

• Conscious pain and suffering of your family member before he or she passed away
• Medical expenses for the treatment your family member received before he or she passed away
• Funeral and burial expenses such as the cost of the embalming or cremation, coffin or urn, flowers, memorial service, transportation, and more
• Loss of financial support for the income that you could reasonably expect your family member to have earned had he or she survived
• Loss of household support for the chores, home maintenance, and childcare your family member would have provided
• Loss of care, companionship, advice, and guidance your family member would have provided had he or she survived

Affording a New Jersey Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer From Our Team

Don’t let financial concerns dissuade you from seeking justice and holding the drunk driver who caused your accident accountable for their actions. At Shulman & Hill, we strongly believe that everyone deserves legal representation, which is why we structure our payments so that anyone can afford our services.

Instead of requiring payment up front, our lawyers accept a contingency fee. That means that our fees are contingent on positive results for your case. We only get paid when we win your case, so you accept no financial risk when you work with us. We take our fees directly from your verdict award or insurance settlement. This strategy keeps our services affordable for everyone.

Starting a Free Case Consultation With Shulman & Hill

We understand that choosing a lawyer to represent you after an accident with a drunk driver is a major decision. You need to feel comfortable working with your lawyer and confident they will fight for you to recover fair compensation. That is why our team at Shulman & Hill offers free case consultations.

These consultations give you a chance to get to know our law firm and give us a chance to hear your side of the story. You can tell us the details of your case, and we will give you an honest assessment of your situation. From there, you can decide whether to move forward with our team.

File Your Drunk Driving Accident Lawsuit Before the Deadline New Jersey Enforces

NJ Rev. Stat. § 2A:14-2 establishes the statute of limitations for personal injury at two years, which means that, in general, you have two years from the date of the accident to file your lawsuit for personal injury. N.J.S. 2A:31-3 establishes the statute of limitations for wrongful death at two years, so you typically have two years from the date your loved one passed away to file a lawsuit for wrongful death.
If you fail to file your lawsuit within the given time period, you may forfeit your right to sue, even if your case is strong. In some cases, however, there are extensions to these deadlines. Our lawyer can review your case, determine how these laws apply to it, and make sure that you file your lawsuit before time runs out.

What Happens When People Drink and Drive

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 32 people pass away from drunk driving accidents each day. In 2020 alone, the number of related fatalities was upwards of 11,000.

All of these accidents were preventable. Getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol can lead to severe consequences since the driver is at risk of:

• Lowered judgment and alertness
• Poor muscle coordination and balance
• Slowed thinking
• Impaired reaction time
• Poor memory
• Blurry vision

Driving drunk is risky and careless behavior, and anyone who harms others must be held accountable. If you were in this situation, one of our attorneys can prove that the other driver had a duty of care to exercise caution, breached it, and caused the crash, your injuries, and your losses.

Shulman & Hill Is Ready to Represent You in Your Drunk Driving Crash Case

Being involved in an accident with a drunk driver can be devastating physically, emotionally, and financially. If you were hurt or lost a loved one in an accident with a drunk driver, our lawyer in New Jersey can help you seek the compensation you deserve.

Contact Shulman & Hill by calling [phone number]. We are ready to provide you with compassionate yet aggressive legal care. Start your free consultation today.