Thousands of people end up in the hospital because other drivers were irresponsible enough to get behind the wheel after having a few too many drinks.
Despite the fact that there was less traffic on South Carolina roads in 2020 due to Covid restrictions and the fact that most bars closed early, still more than 16,600 people managed to get themselves arrested for driving under the influence. Alcohol consumption is one of the leading causes of car crashes in the state. Thousands of people end up in the hospital because other drivers were irresponsible enough to get behind the wheel after having a few too many drinks.
If you were injured in such an accident, you should get in touch with some good South Carolina drunk-driving accident lawyers and make those who put your life in danger pay for what they’ve done.
If you’ve been following local news you surely remember the tragedy on Hilton Head Island last May when a drunk driver killed three people in an accident, leaving another man in critical condition. The man survived and filed a lawsuit against the driver as well as against the Triangle bars that sold him the drinks. However, before you can sue the driver at fault you need to talk to experienced Hilton Head Island drunk driving accident lawyers. And judging by the number of DUI crashes registered in the area lately, they’ve accumulated plenty of experience.
Thousands of people end up in the hospital because other drivers were irresponsible enough to get behind the wheel after having a few too many drinks.
If you settle with the insurance company, you can get economic damages, covering your medical bills and lost wages, and, maybe, just maybe some non-economic damages to compensate you for the suffering you’ve been through.
However, when you sue the drunk driver you can also claim punitive damages. Just as the name indicates, this type of damage is meant to punish the driver for their reckless behavior.
When seasoned lawyers decide to go to court, they will explain what sort of punitive damages they will be after. It is the judge that decides the value of these damages and they will look at certain factors such as the drunk driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC), whether they have prior DUI convictions and if they were solely responsible for the crash.
According to South Carolina DUI laws, it is illegal to operate a vehicle if you have a BAC that is 0.08% or higher. For drivers under the age of 21, the limit is set at 0.02%.
Unlike other types of lawsuits, in DUI cases there is no cap on punitive damages. If the driver had a BAC of 0.16%, for instance, the judge will probably award you considerable punitive damages as it’s obvious that person was in no condition to drive.
If you want to receive the compensation you deserve, you need to get yourself skilled drunk-driving lawyers from the very beginning as they’ll have a lot of work to do. They’ll need to secure police reports, toxicology reports and interview eyewitnesses. They will also need time to review the driver’s financial situation, including pay stubs and their tax returns for the previous years. It wouldn’t be fair that they’re left with all the money, while you’re left with all the suffering.
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