Driving under the influence, or DUI, accident cases can be very confusing. Scott O’Sullivan has been fighting for Denver DUI victims for over 20 years. If you need an attorney for DUI victims in Denver for yourself or a loved one, get a free consultation today. We can visit you at home or in the hospital, immediately relieving you of the burden of calling back the insurance companies. We can win your case and alleviate some of the financial and emotional stress that you’re facing because you were hit by a drunk driver.
When DUI victims have been hit by a drunk driver, they need an attorney on their side who understands. Why? Because, in accidents involving someone who was driving under the influence, the city’s district attorney gets involved and files a criminal case against the driver, but it is not the DA’s job to help the drunk driving victim in the accident. The DA’s job is to punish the bad guy. To say it another way, if you want someone on your side who will look out for your best interests after you’ve been hit by a drunk driver, you need a DUI attorney.
Additionally, because The O’Sullivan Law Firm handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, you pay no legal fees unless we are successful in getting compensation for you.
“I recently represented a taxi driver who was working in downtown Denver on a Friday night. He was driving east on 17th Avenue and was hit from the side by a drunk driver who ran a red light. The drunk driver’s car spun all the way around and ended up behind the taxi driver. As the drunk driver tried to flee the scene, she smashed into the taxi driver four more times!
When the drunk driver’s insurance company showed resistance to the taxi driver’s claims, we instantly sued. Once the insurance company realized we were not going to back down, they knew they did not want the case to go to court and they provided our client with all of his rightful coverage.”
A skilled Denver personal injury attorney is going to be incredibly beneficial for these cases. Unfortunately, drunk driving accident victims usually do not have the resources necessary to fully investigate these claims. However, an attorney can use the resources of their office to obtain all evidence needed to prove liability. For a drunk driving accident case, this can include the following:
In addition to gathering this evidence, an attorney will make sure that their client is evaluated by a trusted medical professional who can treat their injuries and help properly calculate the total expected losses.
When we turn to data available from the Colorado Department of Transportation, we can see that there were more than 6,000 crashes attributed to impaired driving during the latest reporting year across this state. Unfortunately, we regularly discover that drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs crash their vehicles while operating at high rates of speed. In many cases, these incidents occur without the impaired driver even touching the brakes before an impact. This can lead to those involved sustaining severe injuries.
At The O’Sullivan Law Firm, our Denver car accident attorneys have experience helping clients who have sustained the following injuries in these incidents:
Victims of drunk driving accidents may be entitled to various types of compensation for their losses or serious injuries. Our Colorado drunk driving accident attorneys strive to recover both economic and non-economic damages on behalf of our clients, which can include the following:
The total amount of compensation available to drunk driving accident victims in Denver will vary depending on price factors related to the incident. This includes the severity of the injury, how quickly a person recovers, whether or not an individual can work, and whether or not there was any shared fault for the crash.
There is no set amount of compensation paid out to drunk driving crash victims in Denver. Rather, there are various factors that can affect total payouts from insurance carriers or as a result of a personal injury lawsuit. Factors that primarily affect compensation amounts include the severity of the injuries caused by the crash, the level of pain and suffering injured by the victim, whether or not a person can work while recovering, and more.
Many individuals wonder whether or not they will have to go to court to get their compensation. The reality is that the vast majority of drunk driving crash claims are resolved through settlements with insurance carriers in the Denver area. Typically, this means filing a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier and recovering compensation for medical bills, property damage expenses, lost earnings, and more. Only if the other driver’s insurance carrier refuses to offer a fair settlement or if they deny the claim will it be necessary to file a civil personal injury lawsuit.
However, even after a lawsuit gets filed, this does not necessarily mean that your drunk driving claim will have to go to court. There are various steps along the way before the case reaches a jury, and that can take up to a year or more. The discovery process will begin, which is where both sides will begin to exchange evidence with one another period it is not uncommon for negotiations and should continue at this point. A settlement is likely going to be reached before a trial becomes necessary.
Drunk driving accident victims in Denver have a limited amount of time to file their lawsuits in civil court. The personal injury statute of limitations in Colorado is two years from the date an injury occurs. If a victim fails to file their lawsuit within this timeframe, they will lose the ability to recover the compensation they are entitled to. Our Denver accident lawyer can help track the statute of limitations for your case, so you don’t miss your window to file a suit.
If you or somebody you love has been injured due to the careless or negligent actions of a drunk driver in Denver, contact The O’Sullivan Law Firm as soon as possible. Our attorneys have extensive experience handling complex vehicle accident claims, and we have the resources necessary to investigate drunk driving crashes. Our goal is to help victims recover full compensation for their losses. When you need a Denver drunk driving accident attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation of your case or call us at (303) 388-5304.
