Drunk drivers are people who have made poor choices—poor choices, which can negatively impact others around them. Not only do they run a much greater risk of hitting another driver than sober drivers do, but they also run the risk of seriously injuring or even killing a sober driver.
And it’s not just drivers who have to worry about drunkards on the road. Each year, many pedestrians are hit and injured by drunk drivers. Hopefully, this will never happen to you, but, if it does, you have many options to seek justice, providing that you properly cover all of your legal bases.
Contact the Police First
A lot of people who are injured after being hit by a drunk driver will go to the hospital, get treatment, and then seek out the help of an attorney. And, while an attorney is definitely necessary in successfully prosecuting a personal injury case such as this, your first course of action should always be to contact the police.
The reason for this is that police officers can file a report on the incident and what happened, as well as on any injuries you have sustained. This report can later be used in court to back up your claims, so it is a very important thing to have.
When possible, immediately following the injury, the police should be contacted, preferably before anyone leaves the scene of the accident. If this is not possible and you are badly injured, you can request that the police follow you to the hospital to file a report. If that cannot happen, then your first step after being released from the hospital or, even better yet, after being pronounced “stable” in the hospital, should be to contact your local police department.
Get Help from an Attorney
After a police report has been filed, you will then want to contact an attorney. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you can handle the case on your own without legal assistance. Even if the case seems “cut and dried,” it can be hard to handle legally, which is why you want to seek out help from a Trump & Trump attorney or another who has experience in handling personal injury cases of this type.
While there are many attorneys to choose from, the best ones will offer free consultations to help you better understand your case and how to proceed appropriately.
File an Insurance Claim
In addition to filing a police report and getting legal help, be sure that you file an insurance claim that details what happened as a result of the incident.
Many people will actually get nice-sized settlements from insurance companies, in addition to anything that they are able to obtain as the result of a lawsuit. Furthermore, no matter what happens with the insurance claim, the claim itself serves as further documented proof of the incident in the same way that a police report does.
Keep a Record of All Correspondence
One final thing that you can and should do following being hit by a drunk driver is to keep a record of any and all correspondence you have related to the incident.
If the driver contacts you after the incident, for example, even if it’s just to say “sorry,” keep it as this shows fault. Do the same with any police correspondence, legal professional correspondence, and insurance company correspondence. All of this can be used to potentially help your case.
The bottom line is that absolutely no one deserves to be hit as the result of someone else’s “good time.” As such, if you are ever struck by a drunk driver, be sure to follow these helpful tips to get the justice that you deserve.
Author information: Anica Oaks is a professional content and copywriter who graduated from the University of San Francisco. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she’s used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty. You can connect with Anica here.
