You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the United States who is not at least broadly aware of the dangers of drunk driving, as well as the fact that driving while intoxicated has been illegal nationwide for many years. Unfortunately, it is also not hard to find examples of people ignoring those laws, driving drunk anyway, and causing traffic collisions with life-altering or even life-threatening consequences for everyone involved.
If a drunk driving car accident in Chandler has left you seriously injured, you likely have grounds to demand civil restitution from the drunk driver who crashed into you. However, if you want to get the best possible case result and get paid for all your short-term and long-term losses, you should strongly consider getting the help of a car accident lawyer from Phillips Law Group with decades of experience handling cases like yours.
Is It Possible to Sue a Drunk Driver Without a DUI Conviction?
Driving while intoxicated (DUI) is both illegal and irresponsible, so it is a textbook example of a breach of the duty of care all drivers have to act lawfully and responsibly while driving on public Arizona roads. If someone has been arrested and convicted on drunk driving charges in relation to a car crash in Chandler, that criminal record can serve as evidence that the driver should also be civilly liable for injuries and losses stemming from the incident.
However, even if a drunk driver is not convicted of DUI—or not charged at all—after causing an accident through their intoxication, it is still possible to file civil suit against them over that accident and recover civil compensation. As a qualified attorney can further explain, this is because civil cases have a less strict standard of proof than criminal cases.
Filing Deadlines for Car Crash Claims
Someone found civilly liable for causing a Chandler auto accident through their own drunk driving can be made to pay financially for every negative effect that accident will ever have on the injured person filing suit, including medical bills, lost work income, physical pain and suffering, and much more. Even if a wreck like this results in permanent and debilitating injuries, though, Arizona state law does not allow injured people an unlimited amount of time to file suit over those injuries.
More specifically, Arizona Revised Statutes §12-542 generally limits personal injury victims to just two years after the date of their initial injury to file suit, with no exceptions and only a few rare scenarios where this period can be extended. This is one of the most significant reasons why contacting legal counsel as soon as possible after a crash occurs is vital to protecting an injured person’s rights.
A Chandler Attorney Can Help With a Drunk Driving Car Accident Lawsuit
A drunk driver is among the most dangerous things you can encounter on a public street or highway. The bright side, however, is that you likely have standing to demand civil compensation from a drunk driver who injures you through a wreck, and you have help from skilled legal counsel with enforcing your right to recovery.
Drunk driving car accidents in Chandler are exactly the kind of thing which the attorneys at Phillips Law Group know how to handle in proactive and effective ways. Call today to learn more about your legal options from a member of our team.
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