Being struck by a drunk driver is a situation that nobody hopes they are going to encounter. When you are struck by a drunk driver, you might suffer injuries. These injuries can often require medical care. They can also prevent you from being able to go to work. The financial impact of these accidents is often the driving force for a person who opts to seek compensation for his or her injuries.
When you are struck by a driver, there is reasonable suspicion for the police officers to stop and detain the person. This gives the police officer the chance to take the necessary steps to determine if the person is drunk. If there is probable cause to believe that the driver was drunk, the driver can face criminal charges.
If the driver is drunk, it is possible for you to seek compensation from the driver even if he or she is facing criminal charges. Civil cases like seeking compensation and criminal cases are completely separate cases that don’t depend on the outcome of the other case. They can, however, use the same evidence, such as the blood alcohol concentration of the driver.
The level of intoxication, or BAC, of the person is an important point that you must include in the claim for compensation. If the BAC was at or above the legal limit for driving, you can move on to proving that the accident was a result of the BAC. You can then move to show that the accident caused your injuries. All of those are crucial points that you must make when you launch your claim for compensation.
Source: FindLaw, “Drunk Driving Accidents,” accessed March 11, 2016