Were You Hit By A Drunk Driver In Tampa?
More than 10,000 people were killed in drunk driving accidents in 2015 alone according to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), and tens of thousands more were injured. In Florida alone, there are about 900 DUI fatalities and nearly 12,000 DUI injuries every year.
While people are legally allowed to drive their vehicles with some alcohol in their systems, any level of impairment can help cause the driver to make a fatal mistake on the road. If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or fatally harmed in a drunk driving accident, you may be able to file a lawsuit to secure the compensation you deserve.
At Robert Sparks Attorneys, our Tampa drunk driving accident attorneys have the experience and dedication you need to fight for the outcome you deserve. You may be entitled to compensation for your accident-related expenses, so contact our firm today to learn more about how we could help you recover.
Seeking Compensation for Your Losses
Sustaining injuries in an accident can be expensive. Thankfully, there is recourse to pursue financial compensation to cover these costs.
After a drunk driving accident, you are likely facing:
- Costly medical bills
- Car repair/replacement fees
- Lost wages
- Emotional pain and suffering, and more
In some unfortunate cases, families will lose a loved one in an accident, leaving them grief-stricken and unable to pay accident-related expenses. We believe that you should not have to pay for an accident that was not your fault. We can work with you and the at-fault party’s insurance company to ensure that they offer you what you deserve.
DUI Accidents And Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are a form of penalty fees a wrongdoer may be required to pay in serious accident and wrongful death cases. Punitive refers to a disciplinary action where the judge requires the wrongdoer to pay a certain amount of fees, in addition to other economic and non-economic damages, to the victim or the victim’s family. DUI cases are one area where punitive damages are often awarded.
Make Sure You’re Okay After An Accident
Car crashes are among the most stressful and potentially dangerous experiences you may face in your life, but it’s important to remain as calm as possible following the accident. You need to check and see if you or your passengers are seriously injured, call the authorities, and take note of the driver who hit your vehicle.
- Check To See If You’re Injured: While pursuing legal action against a drunk driver is important later on in the process, the most important thing to do in the moment is make sure you and your passengers are okay. Whether you or your passengers are noticeably injured or not, you need to get checked out by a doctor in order to make sure there isn’t any internal damage or other lasting injuries. Doing so will also give you a detailed medical record that can be used in your lawsuit.
- Call 911: The sooner you call the police, the better. They will be able to provide you with any on-site medical attention you need, and will speed up the process of getting you and your passengers to a safe location. It’s also important to answer any question they ask honestly and completely so they can accurately fill out a police report, which will be a vital document for your case.
- Collect The Other Driver’s Information: While the police will take down this information as well, it’s important for you to collect the other driver or drivers’ license, contact, ownership, and insurance information.
Contact Robert Sparks Attorneys for a Free Review
Trying to get a personal injury settlement can be difficult, and even though you are the victim, the insurance company will try to get away with paying you as little as possible. That’s why it’s incredibly important to have an attorney on your case who is willing to fight until their last breath to make sure that your settlement will cover the entire cost of all of the damages.
For more information, contact our Tampa drunk driving accident attorneys at Robert Sparks Attorneys by calling us at (813) 606-5050.
