Drunk drivers break the law the minute they get behind the wheel of a car. However, a criminal case won’t provide you with the financial support you need to pay to replace your damaged car or pursue treatment for your serious injuries. If you want to financially recover from a drunk driving accident, a Fort Lauderdale lawyer can represent you as you pursue a civil claim.
Our car accident lawyers in Fort Lauderdale work with everyone, no matter how complicated a case seems. Blakeley Law Firm has brought this community-oriented mindset to its pursuit of justice since the firm’s founding in 2013. Our commitment has helped survivors like you secure over $200 million in damages in that time.
You can book your free drunk driving accident case consultation today to learn more about the steps we can take to help you recover from a collision.
Should You Accept a Settlement Offer After a Drunk Driving Accident?
The criminal and civil aspects of your drunk driving accident are separate from one another. Florida police officers can arrest a drunk driver, press charges against them, and take them to court, where the driver may face the risk of imprisonment and fines. You, however, may file a civil claim (or insurance claim) against a drunk driver demanding damages for your losses.
Insurance claims and civil claims both allow you to recover accident damages based on the cost of your post-accident recovery. However, insurance companies do not want to pay out the damages you need to pay your bills. Many insurers will offer you seemingly generous settlements that actually undervalue your drunk driving accident losses.
What can you do when presented with these settlements? Our team always recommends that you discuss the actual value of a settlement with an experienced Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer.
These conversations can contrast an offer against the cost of your recovery, giving you the information you need to go back to the negotiating table.
Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Near Me
Get Free CONSULTATION
When Should You Contact a Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer?
If you receive a settlement offer shortly after a drunk driving accident, or if you decide you want to take legal action against a drunk driver, we encourage you to contact a Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accident attorney.
Meeting with an attorney doesn’t lock you into legal action, but rather it gives you the chance to:
- Discuss the specific recklessness and/or negligence that led to your drunk driving accident
- Highlight what evidence you can use to demand damages based on your losses
- Outline how you want to approach conversations with insurance claims adjusters and other representatives
- Calculate the actual value of the settlement you need to accommodate your medical care, property restoration, and lost wages
The sooner you contact a lawyer, the sooner you can lay the groundwork for an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. You can trust our team to prioritize your long-term recovery goals by highlighting which of these tools might best help you ask for the compensation you deserve.
Additionally, early contact with an attorney keeps you one step ahead of Florida’s personal injury statute of limitations (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)).
If you want to file a lawsuit against a drunk driver and demand fair damages, you need to submit a claim to Florida’s civil courts before the second anniversary of your accident.
Who Can You Hold Responsible for a Drunk Driving Accident?
When filing an insurance claim or pursuing a personal injury lawsuit after a drunk driving accident, you need to establish your right to financially recover from your losses.
You can do this by gathering evidence indicating that:
- A driver chose to get behind the wheel of a car or similar vehicle while intoxicated
- That choice violated the duty of care that the driver owed you
- The subsequent accident stemmed from the driver’s intoxication
- That accident resulted in your economic losses and physical injuries
The evidence you use to make your case can range from eyewitness statements and breathalyzer results to expert testimony and electronic data. Photos, video footage, and physical debris can also help you determine whether or not you have the right to name an intoxicated driver financially responsible for your recovery.
Criminal Investigations and Your Drunk Driving Accident Case
Drunk driving is illegal in Florida. Police officers will likely arrest the person responsible for your drunk driving accident and then charge them with criminal misconduct.
Generally, those criminal proceedings will not overlap with your recovery, though the prosecution may ask you to testify against a drunk driver in criminal court.
However, if Florida’s criminal courts convict your liable driver of illegal conduct before you conclude your civil case, you may be in luck. Criminal convictions constitute proof of negligence in the eyes of Florida’s civil courts. In other words, you can use a conviction to definitively argue that a drunk driver’s negligence entitles you to accident compensation.
Your drunk driving accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, FL, can keep up with the progress of a liable driver’s criminal case on your behalf. Our team can go on to integrate those findings into the case we intend to file with Florida’s civil circuit.
Trust Compassionate Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers With Your Case
Blakeley Law Firm is proud to maintain a reputation for great communication and support. Our Fort Lauderdale, FL, drunk driving accident attorneys will always call you back to discuss the logistics of your case. Additionally, we keep local offices, making it all the easier for you to connect with a legal representative face-to-face.
In other words, you can trust Blakeley Law Firm to make our team readily available to you as you fight to recover from a drunk driving collision. Our accessibility makes it easier to determine what compensation you have the right to and how you want to ask for that support.
Don’t let someone else’s reckless behavior put your financial future at risk. You can contact Blakeley Law Firm today to book a free drunk driving accident case consultation.
