Our attorneys have been assisting the Orange County and Southern California communities for over 40 years.
Drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs are a leading cause of traffic accident fatalities throughout California each year. At DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo, we are here to help if you need an Orange County drunk driving accident attorney by your side. If you or somebody you love has been injured due to the actions of an impaired driver, we want to make sure that you recover the compensation you are entitled to. We will not hesitate to stand up to aggressive insurance carriers or at-fault parties.
Drunk driving accident claims can be challenging, particularly when it comes to recovering full compensation. A lawyer will use their resources to conduct a complete investigation into the impaired driving incident. This includes speaking to eyewitnesses, obtaining police reports, obtaining the driver’s blood alcohol test results, and examining video surveillance and photographs from the scene.
Additionally, a personal injury lawyer in Orange County will handle all communication and negotiations with insurance carriers or legal teams involved. If necessary, a lawyer will fully prepare the claim for trial in front of a jury.
During the latest reporting year in California (2021), more than 28,000 individuals sustained alcohol-related crash injuries (California Office of Traffic Safety). Individuals harmed due to the negligent actions of a drunk driver in Orange County may be able to recover various types of compensation for their losses. Our attorneys work diligently to help clients recover coverage of economic and non-economic damages they sustain as a result of the incident.
There is no specific amount of competition paid to Orange County drunk driving accident victims. Rather, several factors could influence how much money a person receives if their claim is successful. The main factors that influence compensation amounts include the severity of the injuries and how much medical care a person will need. The overall length of their recovery will play a role in the compensation needed.
Other factors that can affect compensation amounts include the overall dollar value of an insurance policy or the total asset situation of the at-fault party. Incidents of shared fault can also affect total compensation payouts.
Your attorney may be able to give you a ballpark estimate about how much to expect for your drunk driving accident claim, but these cases can be unpredictable. Any estimate should be considered just that, an estimate.
Data from the California Office of Traffic Safety shows that there were 1,159 total alcohol-impaired driving fatalities during the most recent reporting year of data on file. The data indicates that there were more than 28,000 total injuries as a result of drunk driving during that same reporting year.
Drunk driving accident victims in Orange County should file their claim against the alleged negligent party as promptly as possible. The personal injury statute of limitations for California specifies that injury claims get filed within two years from the date the incident occurs, with a few exceptions. Usually, failing to file a lawsuit within this two-year time frame likely results in the injury victim becoming unable to recover any compensation for their losses.
In addition to the statutory personal injury filing time frame, the insurance carriers involved will likely have their own internal reporting deadlines. Failing to promptly file an insurance claim after a drunk driving accident could result in a claim delay or even a claim denial.
If you are involved in a drunk driving accident in Orange County, the following steps can be crucial to your safety as well as your legal rights and ability to recover compensation after the incident:
At DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo, we proudly handle drunk driving accident claims in Orange County on a contingency fee basis. This means that crash victims do not have to pay any upfront or ongoing costs related to their claims, and they will not pay us any legal fees until after we successfully recover compensation for their losses. In the event we do not win, clients are required to pay us absolutely nothing.
We firmly believe that this type of fee arrangement allows individuals to hold at-fault parties responsible for causing them harm, regardless of their current financial status. This is fair, and we want to help.
You may or may not have to go to court for your drunk driving accident case. First, we want to make sure you understand that there could be two separate types of claims revolving around a drunk driving accident situation. First, there may be a criminal charge against the alleged drunk driver. If you were a victim of a drunk driving accident, you will likely be able to participate in the process of holding the drunk driver accountable. A victim’s advocate will likely reach out to you and help you with that part of the process.
You may also have a civil case against the alleged drunk driver. If you or a loved one sustained an injury, filing a personal injury claim in civil court may be the only way to recover compensation. However, the vast majority of personal injury claims get settled before a trial becomes necessary, which means most people do not go to court for these cases. However, in the event the alleged negligent party or their insurance carrier refuses to offer a fair settlement, a jury trial may be necessary, which would require you to go to court.
We encourage you to speak to your drunk driving accident attorney in Orange County to gain an understanding of the likely trajectory of your specific case.
If you or somebody you care about has been injured due to the actions of a drunk driver in Orange County, reach out to the team at DAM Firm for help today. We have extensive experience handling complex car accident claims throughout California, and we know what it takes to help recover compensation for your losses.
When you need an Orange County drunk driving accident attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling us at (714) 783-2205.