Alcohol is involved in slightly more than 30% of fatal crashes in New York State. Every two minutes, a person gets injured due to drunk driving. For anyone, a car accident can be a distressing and challenging event. At Mandler & Sieger, LLP, we handle all forms of personal injury lawsuits involving motor vehicles. Automobiles, trucks, buses, bicycles, and pedestrians are all covered by our legal competence. If you, a family member, or a friend have been wounded due to a car accident, don’t hesitate to contact our office for woodbury personal injury lawyers.
The Expense of Driving While Intoxicated
To avert these tragedies, New York has enacted new regulations and programs.
- Purchasing, possessing, or consuming alcoholic beverages is illegal for anybody under 21.
- It is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.02 percent or above, which is the equivalent of one alcoholic beverage in most persons.
- If you are caught driving with a prohibited BAC, you may be punished, forced to perform community service, and lose your driving privileges for one year or until you reach the age of 21, whichever comes first.
What To Do After Getting Hit By A Drunk Driver
If a drunk driver hits you, call 911 immediately. The police must respond to the site. You’ll need the proof they gather and the report they’ll write. You may also require emergency medical assistance, which 911 may arrange. Once you’ve dialed 911, take the following steps:
- Determine whether or not you require medical assistance. Your primary concern should be your health and safety.
- Attempt to park your vehicle in a safe location away from oncoming traffic. If your vehicle can’t be driven, get out and locate a safe area to wait for the cops. Disabled automobiles can result in secondary collisions.
- If the intoxicated driver tries to depart the collision site, you should try to gather as much evidence as possible. Take a picture of the license plate of the car. Pictures of empty bottles or any evidence that could be used against you. Take a picture of the driver if you can. Impaired speech, tripping, red eyes, and other indicators of drunkenness could be captured on video and used as potential evidence.
- Communicate with the police officers that arrive on the site. Tell them your side of the story and provide them with the facts they need. Request a copy of the police report after it has been completed.
- Even if you choose not to leave the site in an ambulance, you should still consult a doctor once you’ve left the accident scene. You should go to an urgent care clinic or an emergency department straight away or schedule an appointment with your primary care physician in a day or two. It’s also crucial to look for hidden injuries that don’t present themselves immediately. A common example is whiplash, in which the victim’s neck does not pain straight away but begins to trouble him or her a day or so after the injury.
- Now is the period to concentrate on your legal requirements. Find a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. It’s critical to hire a lawyer who has handled drunk driving cases before. Different legal concerns arise in these situations, and you might also have to fight with both a civil or criminal court. Our woodbury personal injury lawyers can assist you.
- The other insurance company will most likely try to contact you as soon as the claim is submitted. They frequently request a testimony about the events of the accident. This, or any other claim, should not be made. Inform the insurance company that you have retained legal representation. The insurance company will no longer be able to contact you about the incident once they have been notified. It would help if you communicated with your attorney at all times.
- Do not share any information about the accident on social media. Insurance companies sometimes hire private detectives to search social media for material that can be used against you.
Contact Our Woodbury Personal Injury Lawyers Today!
We at Mandler & Sieger, LLP sincerely care about you and serve you as if you’re a family member or a friend. We realize how an event can completely change your life. Our attorneys and team will manage your personal injury case from start to finish. For more information on woodbury personal injury attorneys, visit our website today.