Car accident attorneys can assist crash victims injured by DUI drivers in San Diego.
California – August 30, 2021
Drinking and driving still plague much of the United States and measures such as sobriety checkpoints are put in place to deter this activity. This past weekend the Pacific Beach community of San Diego conducted a driver’s license/sobriety checkpoint that led to 17 DUI arrests according to law enforcement officers. The check point screening began at 11 p.m. on Saturday and ended at 2:50 a.m. on Sunday according to the San Diego Police Department Officer where 23 motorists were evaluated out of 1,528 vehicles. When accident victims are injured because of DUI activities, it is important to be proactive and consult with a San Diego accident attorney after seeking medical care and evaluation. When individuals suffer personal injury, or harm after an accident caused by the negligent act of driving and drinking, a personal injury attorney can build a case for damage compensation recovery in a civil suit and a criminal legal action will be initiated as well.
Criminal negligence.
California has become stricter with their drunk driving laws, keeping pace with many other oof the United States. It is illegal for California drivers over the age of 21 to drive with a BAC of .08, or higher and California has a zero tolerance law for anyone under the age of 21. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety Annual Report for 2020, drunk driving revealed 123,548 arrests in the State in 2017.
Proving responsibility.
Everyone is legally responsible for the result of their willful acts, and injury that occurs during ordinary care in the State of California. Accident damage compensation reflects fault percentages and monetary awards are adjusted in accordance with a percentage of fault assigned to each driver. When an accident was caused due to driving under the influence, which has criminal charges, the criminal case may have some bearing on the outcome of the personal injury case. An experienced attorney can review accident reports, and other information that will strengthen a negligence case against the criminal actions of a drunk driver.
Injury and wrongful death.
When catastrophic injury, or wrongful death occurs, a personal representative, or specific family member may have to file legal action on behalf of the individual that was hurt, or died. If the accident was caused by blatantly negligent acts, such as reckless driving, distracted driving, or driving under the influence, pending criminal action may need to be addressed before, or during the civil action proceedings. An experienced wrongful death attorney focuses on the intricacies of a complex accident case by addressing criminal components, insurance coverages, degrees of fault and the severity of the accident damages toward a timely award.
Compensation.
Damages include compensation for replacement, or repair of property, costs incurred from medical professionals treating injuries, lost wages, changes in lifestyle, pain and suffering and wrongful death claims due to personal injury loss. Because the compensation will be based on the award set by a court of law, it is important to keep complete and accurate records of all expenses incurred as a result of the car accident. A skilled car accident attorney can review these documents to make certain that all damages are covered.
Hire an attorney.
Hire an experienced personal injury attorney, who is familiar with California DUI laws, at the Law Offices of Jeffrey E. Estes & Associates. They can effectively build a negligence case against the drunk driver and secure damage compensation for harmful losses to a victim.
Jeffrey E. Estes & Associates, a Professional Law Corporation
501 West Broadway, Suite 1650
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: 619-233-8021
Fax: 619-233-3730
Sources:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=23152
https://www.ots.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/67/2021/02/FINAL_OTS_AnnualReport_Web_2-4.pdf
https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/california_fy2017_ar.pdf
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/media_center/statistics
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