Need an Injury Attorney for a DUI Accident in Utah?
When it comes to crashes in Utah, many involve drunk drivers – so many that you may be surprised by the very real statistics. In fact, 469 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver in Utah all the way from 2003-2012. 1.9% of drivers report driving after drinking too much in Utah over a period of 30 days. Utah’s population is known for many great things, but so many people still tend to get behind the wheel of a car while drunk, which can lead to terrible accidents and damages for a driver who has been injured. Drunk driving is turning into a huge problem throughout the entirety of the U.S. and something must be done about it immediately. It is important to turn to an attorney that you can trust in your time of need when you have been injured severely in a DUI accident.
A Police Officer’s Role in Your DUI Accident
After you have been involved in a minor accident, you probably wouldn’t call the police, especially if there have been no injuries. You usually exchange insurance and other personal information and agree to move on past that. However, a police officer plays an important role in a DUI accident, which is treated very seriously under the law. If you have been injured and you know that the other driver has been driving drunk, you need to take action immediately and start building your case from the beginning. A police report in a serious drunk driving accident can be all the evidence you need to prove that a driver has acted negligently and played the biggest role in your claim.
Proving Liability in Your DUI Case
If it can be proven that a driver was driving drunk, then you have a case against this driver. A driver’s BAC can be tested through a Breathalyzer given by a police officer, or when a police officer smells alcohol on the driver and sees it in plain sight in the vehicle – this is reasonable cause to believe that a driver was driving drunk. This means that a driver broke their duty of care to you on the roadways and could be held liable for your accident. However, like any other accident, working toward the compensation you deserve can sometimes be an uphill battle. Many people will sustain serious or permanent injuries in these horrific cases that put lives at risk, sometimes due to the nature of how they were hit or because the other driver was speeding (as is a common occurrence in many DUI cases).
Some of the common injuries you may see prevalent in these delicate cases include spinal injuries that lead to damages and paralysis, leg injuries stemming from side-impact collisions, neck injuries, broken bones, and traumatic brain injuries depending on how the accident occurred.
Moving Forth With Your Case
If negligence is clear, you will be compensated for your injuries through filing your personal injury suit. Drunk drivers have committed a crime and, along with your civil suit, a criminal suit will also be brought. If they are found guilty of drunk driving, then you will probably be able to recover damages for their actions. You want to gain compensation as soon as possible from a negligent party when you have been severely injured. We want to help. Call an experienced attorney in your time of need to work toward the compensation you deserve.