Can You Still Sue A Drunk Driver If They Were Not Convicted Of DUI?
If you’ve been injured in a crash caused by an intoxicated driver, you may be wondering what your legal options are. You may have heard that it’s difficult to prove a drunk driver was actually intoxicated at the time of the incident, and this is true.
However, there are still ways to hold drunk drivers accountable for their actions and seek justice. Let’s take a look at what your options could be when it comes to suing a reckless and irresponsible drunk driver.
Contact our Seattle drunk driving accident lawyers at Emerald Law Group to explore your legal options, including filing a lawsuit against the drunk driver who caused your accident. Our skilled attorneys can help you pursue the compensation you deserve even if the other driver was not convicted of DUI.
Civil vs. Criminal Lawsuits When Suing a Drunk Driver
It is important to note the difference between criminal and civil lawsuits before we dive into how to sue for damages caused by an intoxicated driver. A criminal lawsuit would need to be brought forth by the state or federal government in order to punish the driver involved in the crash with jail time or other criminal penalties. In contrast, individuals bring civil lawsuits to get compensation for damages such as monetary losses or medical bills.
Evidence Needed to Sue a Drunk Driver
In order to ensure that you have sufficient evidence for civil litigation against a drunk driver, there are certain things that should be done immediately after the crash occurs:
- First, obtaining police reports from any responding officers at the scene can provide critical information about what happened during and after the crash—including any testing done on either party involved in order to detect intoxication levels.
- If there were any eyewitnesses present who could testify as to their observations regarding intoxication levels prior to or during the crash, those statements could also be extremely helpful in making your case stronger against the reckless perpetrator who caused your injury or damage from their negligence on the roadways.
- If you were able to obtain video footage of either party immediately following or during the accident—such as footage from security cameras or dash cameras—that evidence can also go a long way toward supporting your case against an impaired suspect who was driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol at any capacity when they got behind the wheel of their car that fateful day.
Contact a knowledgeable attorney to help you gather the necessary evidence to prove that the other driver was intoxicated and obtain the compensation to which you are entitled.
Contact Emerald Law Group to Get Legal Counsel
Even if the other driver was not convicted of DUI, there might still be legal options available that allow victims to pursue justice through civil suits seeking damages from those responsible for causing harm through their carelessness and irresponsibility. It is important that drunk drivers are held accountable to prevent DUI-related crashes from happening in the future.
Our experienced and results-driven lawyers at Emerald Law Group can help you pursue the compensation to which you are entitled, regardless of whether the drunk driver was found “guilty” or “not guilty” in their criminal case. Discuss your particular case by scheduling a free consultation. Call 206-826-5160 today.
