Ylla Gosney, Attorneys at Law can help you if you’ve been injured in a car accident caused by someone driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Tuttle. Pretty much everybody knows how dangerous DWI is, but that doesn’t make it any easier when you’re the one left dealing with the aftermath. With our team, you don’t have to go through it alone. Set up a free consultation today.
Why a Lawyer Makes Sense After a DWI Accident
Just because a DWI accident seems pretty obvious in terms of what happened and who was at fault doesn’t mean it’s easy to deal with. If anything, these accidents can be more complicated because the injuries are usually more serious and there’s usually a lot more evidence to sort through. That’s why it makes sense to talk to our team after one of these accidents, where we can help you
- Figure out what really happened
- Get evidence that the driver was impaired
- Take the paperwork and insurance calls off your plate
- Lay out your options in plain language
- Handle the back-and-forth with the insurance company if they push back
- Go to court if that’s what it takes
There’s nothing easy about being injured in a car accident. When the other driver was intoxicated, though, there’s another layer to everything you’re dealing with. That’s why it’s helpful to slow things down and take it piece by piece.
How DWI Accidents Usually Happen in Tuttle
When people hear “DWI,” they usually think about alcohol. That’s pretty common, but it’s far from the only source of intoxication. There’s also:
- Marijuana
- Prescription medications
- Illegal substances
- Mixing substances
The source matters when you’re trying to figure out what happened, but the bigger issue is pretty simple: someone decided to drive when they shouldn’t have. That obviously leads to accidents, and they usually include:
- Wrong-way, head-on collisions
- Rear-end collisions
- Rollovers from speeding or reacting late to curves
- Blowing through stop signs or lights at intersections
- Collisions with runners, bicyclists, and other pedestrians
No matter what the source of it was, intoxication is a huge contributing factor to car accidents around Tuttle every year, just like it is everywhere else. But that doesn’t make your situation any easier. What can, though, is getting the right information afterward.
What Information Will Help My DWI Accident Claim?
One thing that surprises a lot of people is that it’s not always obvious right away that the other driver was intoxicated. You may not find that out until you interact with them—assuming they stay at the scene.
Either way, don’t confront the other driver or accuse them of being intoxicated. Your focus should be on calling 911, getting medical help, and letting the police handle the situation. Once that’s taken care of, it’s a good chance to get a few basics like:
- Pictures or videos of the vehicles, road conditions, traffic signals, and any visible injuries
- Names and contact information for witnesses or bystanders
- The other driver’s license and insurance information, if you’re comfortable getting it
You only need to do this if you’re physically and mentally up to it. Your health comes first. Then, over the days and weeks after the accident, keep track of things like:
- Your medical records
- Copies of police and toxicology reports
- Nearby surveillance or traffic camera footage that may have caught the crash
- Pictures showing how your injuries have progressed
- Notes about how the accident has changed your day-to-day life
- Pay records showing time you’ve missed from work
It can feel like a lot, especially when you’re already trying to recover from an accident. But these details can make a big difference when it’s time to move forward with your DWI accident claim.
Legal Responsibility and DWI Accidents
It’s pretty obvious that the intoxicated driver is going to be the main focus of your injury claim when and if you decide to file one. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the only person who could be responsible. It still depends on the specifics of what happened, namely who might’ve supplied the driver or otherwise allowed them to drive while intoxicated in the first place. That can potentially bring in:
- The person that owned the vehicle and allowed the intoxicated person to drive.
- Private property owners that supplied drugs or alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person. This could be a friend, party host, or even the people that own/manage a bar or restaurant.
Of course, there’s also the other typical parties like another driver that was being reckless, the company that made a defective part, or even the local government that didn’t maintain the road the way it should’ve. All of this is to say that while the intoxicated driver may be the obvious person to look at, it’s worth looking at the whole situation. Sometimes there’s more to the story than just one driver.
How Does the Claims Process Work With a DWI Accident in Tuttle?
There’s two simultaneous processes that kick in when there’s a DWI accident: the criminal side and the civil side. The criminal side is pretty easy to understand: the driver gets charged, fined, and usually ends up in jail.
For your purposes, the civil side is where you can get financial help for what the accident has cost you. To get these “damages”, you can either:
- File an insurance claim outside of court
- File a personal injury lawsuit
It’s here that things start to look more specific to you. Your damages are going to be made up of your:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Current and future lost income
- Repair or replacement costs for your vehicle and other property
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Wrongful death damages in fatal accidents
- Punitive damages based on the driver’s reckless actions
Even though your damages are seemingly pretty obvious from this kind of accident, you don’t have forever to make a decision on filing your claim. There’s a two-year deadline, even with a DWI accident. No matter what your circumstances are, our team will be with you from the beginning to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
Ylla Gosney Can Help You After a Tuttle DWI Accident
Driving while impaired puts everyone else on the road at risk. When that decision leaves you injured, you’re the one stuck dealing with the medical bills, missed work, property damage, and everything else that follows.
That’s where our Tuttle DWI accident lawyers at Ylla Gosney, Attorneys at Law can help. We’ll explain your options, answer your questions, and help you understand what comes next. Set up a free consultation today and let us help you get back on your feet.