What Steps You Should Take If You’ve Been in an Accident With A Drunk Driver in Colorado Springs
The statistics surrounding drunk drivers are staggering, even in a day and age when information, awareness, and education about driving under the influence is higher than ever before. Almost a third of all car accidents in the United States involve alcohol on some level, and many more involve serious injuries.
Those who are hurt by drunk drivers on the roadways deserve compensation to help recover from their injuries, but it’s vital to take the right steps. Learn about your options if you’re hit by a drunk driver, what you should do to get compensation, and how a qualified car accident attorney can help.
Civil vs. Criminal Cases
The first thing to understand is that a drunk driving accident falls under two very different case laws. Driving under the influence is a crime, so anyone driving while intoxicated is likely to be charged as such. However, this has little to do with you getting compensated for your injuries. The law under which you file a personal injury suit is called civil law. The compensation you recover is called “damages,” and comes in two forms: special damages and general damages.
Special damages are for things like lost income, medical expenses, and economic loss you suffer from the injury, whereas general damages are for more subjective things like pain and suffering, emotional damages, loss of companionship and the like. In some cases, especially if the accident was egregious, you may be entitled to punitive damages which are designed specifically to punish the offending driver.
Settlements and Initial Offers
In almost every case, the insurance company representing the drunk driver is going to tender a lowball offer in an effort to pay out as little as possible. They might use a number of tactics to get you to accept, ranging from challenging the severity of your injuries to trying to trick or bully you into signing away your rights. Remember that you’re the injured party, and you shouldn’t let them convince you to accept a lower offer than you deserve.
Who Can You Sue?
In some states, you may be able to sue not just the drunk driver, but the person who gave them the alcohol, or the person whose car they are driving, if it’s not their vehicle. The parties responsible could vary, and it can be tricky to determine who exactly is responsible for paying for your injury. This is another tactic some insurance companies use, passing the blame among various potentially responsible parties.
Hire a Personal Injury Attorney
People who are injured in drunk driving accidents need help to ensure their rights are protected, they can properly fight the insurance companies involved, and hold the responsible parties accountable for the injuries suffered. A qualified, experienced car accident lawyer knows how to challenge these non-payment tactics and get you the compensation you deserve so you can get your bills paid for, get back on your feet and regain control of your life. If you find yourself in this situation and you live in Southern Colorado, contact Heuser & Heuser for a free case consultation today!
No Fee Unless You Win
Questions Or Schedule A Free Appointment? Click To Call (719) 520-9909
No Fee Unless You Win
Questions or Schedule A free Appointment? Click to Call (719) 520-9909
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know What My Case Is Worth?
There are a variety of things we look at when evaluating your case and determining its value. We look at how the accident occurred. We look at what sort of injuries you sustained. Do you have a permanent injury that will last the rest of your life? Are you going to have future medical bills? We look at lost wages. Did you lose your job? If you have permanent work restrictions as a result of the accident, you may not be able to find a job very easily in the future. These are some of the factors that we look at in evaluating a claim. Every case is unique and different. That’s why at our law firm, every case gets personal attention from the lawyer when it comes time to evaluate.
Why is it Important to Hire a Lawyer?
Insurance companies are in business for a reason: to make money. Anytime they are paying money on a claim, it means less money to their bottom line. They have literally hundreds of adjusters and hundreds of lawyers who are on their side trying to figure out how to prevent money from leaving their checkbooks. Quite frankly, you do need a lawyer to help you through this because your lawyer will make sure you’re properly compensated.
Do Cases Settle Without Going to Court?
Cases settle before going to trial 80 to 90 percent of the time. However, that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of work involved in getting a case settled outside of court. Sometimes you have to file a lawsuit and do a lot of what I call “legal maneuvering” to get a case settled. That means we take depositions from witnesses to the accident, from police officers, and from your doctors. But, yes, most cases will settle prior to trial.
Do You Get Good Results for Your Clients?
We do get good results for our clients. We have settled hundreds, if not thousands, of cases where we’ve had large settlements. We’ve had substantial verdicts. We go to the mat for our clients if necessary. We’ll appeal cases. We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure our client is taken care of.
See What Our Clients Say
No Fee Unless You Win
Questions Or Schedule A Free Appointment? Click To Call (719) 520-9909
No Fee Unless You Win
Questions or Schedule A free Appointment? Click to Call (719) 520-9909
Our Attorneys
Gordon J. Heuser, Esq.
As a Colorado Springs native, Gordon has been practicing in Southern Colorado for 35+ years.…
Barkley D. Heuser, Esq.
Barkley Heuser is a Colorado native, and has lived in Colorado Springs for over 59…
Brennan D. Heuser, Esq.
Brennan Heuser is a Colorado Native who graduated from the University of Miami, Fl with…
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Want To Learn More About Your Colorado Car Accident Case? Download Our EBook, On Us!
We wanted to find a way to make your car wreck case even easier for you. That is why we wrote this guide that will provide you with the critical information you need to know about your car accident case.
As car accident law professionals, we have seen too many individuals lose out on their maximum owed compensation. Don’t miss out on the settlement you deserve! In this book, you will learn how to:
- Avoid the key mistakes that can derail your claim.
- Know what you should and shouldn’t say if an insurance adjuster contacts you
- Understand the dos and don’ts of social media.
- Position yourself to collect full and fair compensation for your injuries.
No Fee Unless You Win
Questions Or Schedule A Free Appointment? Click To Call (719) 520-9909
No Fee Unless You Win
Questions or Schedule A free Appointment? Click to Call (719) 520-9909
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Colorado Springs Office
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