Gettysburg Drunk Driving

Gettysburg Drunk Driving Injury Lawyers

Tough representation when you are injured by a drunk or impaired driver

It’s common knowledge. If you drink, don’t drive. Drunk drivers are a danger to themselves, other drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicycle riders. Anyone who drinks needs to plan ahead. They need to arrange for sober drivers to take them home or arrange to walk home. Drivers who are intoxicated have poor mental judgment. They can’t respond to traffic emergencies. Worst of all, they create emergencies by speeding, swerving into other lanes of travel, running through red lights, and acting recklessly.

At KBG Injury Law, our personal injury and wrongful death lawyers fight relentlessly to hold drunk drivers accountable for taking lives, destroying families, and causing irreparable catastrophic harm. Our Gettysburg drunk driving accident lawyers demand compensation when victims suffer head trauma, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, amputations, burn injuries, and other lifelong injuries. We demand compensation for families when a fatal drunk driving accident occurs.

Practice Areas

Gettysburg Drunk Driving 2

How can we help?

How serious are drunk driving accidents?

MSN reports the following:

  • Someone in America dies in a drunk driving accident every 48 minutes.
  • 43% of all drunk driving crashes involve passenger cars – as compared to trucks, SUVs, pickups, and motorcycles.
  • The age range that causes the most drunk driving fatalities due to a BAC of .08 is - adults aged 25-34.
  • Male drunk drivers cause 80% of drunk driving crashes.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of 37 Pennsylvanians died each year between 2009 and 2018 from drunk driving.

Why is drinking and driving so dangerous?

The short answer is – even one drink can make driving unsafe.

According to Healthline, alcohol moves to the stomach where it starts to be absorbed by the bloodstream. The alcohol will move faster into your bloodstream if you don’t have food in your stomach.

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is the percentage of alcohol in the bloodstream. Some of the factors that affect a persons’ BAC include the drinker’s sex, weight, age, overall health, and metabolism level. Other factors include the type of drink, the strength of the drink, how fast the alcohol is consumed, and whether the drinker is using any medications or drugs.

“A standard drink is defined as 14 grams (or 0.6 ounces) of pure alcohol.” Standard drinks by type are:

  • Beer (5% alcohol). 12 fluid ounces.
  • Malt liquor (7% alcohol). 8-9 fluid ounces.
  • Table wine (12% alcohol). 5 fluid ounces.
  • Distilled spirits (40% alcohol). 1.5 fluid ounces.

The consequences of drinking (which only get worse the more someone drinks) according to Healthgrinder are:

  • Inability to focus on two things at once
  • Difficulty steering
  • Reduced coordination
  • Loss of concentration
  • Difficulty controlling the speed of the car
  • Short-term memory loss
  • Impaired perception
  • Inability to stay in the correct lane
  • Inability to brake properly

How does the driver’s DUI case affect my civil case?

The BAC legal limit for a DUI charge in Pennsylvania is .08 for most drivers. The BAC limit for commercial drivers is .04. In Pennsylvania, the criminal penalties increase if a driver’s BAC is .10 or higher, and increase even further if the BAC is .16 or more. Criminal penalties generally include incarceration, fines, loss of driver’s license, increased insurance premiums, and other consequences.

If the at-fault driver is charged with a criminal offense for DUI, the outcome of the criminal case can help resolve an injured victim’s civil claim for compensation. Proof of intoxication in the criminal justice system, whether by verdict, plea, or acceptance into an ARD program, will establish intoxication conclusively in a related civil claim and eliminate the need to prove intoxication in the civil case. (Even if the drunk driver isn’t charged or isn’t convicted, we still proceed with your civil case; in addition to being intoxicated, many drunk drivers often violate the state traffic laws – such as by speeding or failing to yield.)  We guide many victims of DUI through what they can expect as the criminal charges against the at-fault party move through the justice system. In some cases, we can even assist the prosecution by providing evidence concerning the victim’s injuries and medical expenses.

Who is liable for my Gettysburg drunk driving accident injury?

Our Gettysburg drunk driving lawyers file claims against every responsible party. Possible defendants include:

  • The drunk driver
  • The owners of the vehicle if they are different than the driver
  • A business that has a liquor license, if the business served someone who was visibility intoxicated and that person caused your car accident because of their intoxication.
  • Any business that made or sold a defective car part that caused your accident, your injuries, and/or the death of a loved one.
  • The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation or any other state entity or agency that had a duty to make the roadway where the accident occurred safe – and failed to do so.

How much compensation will I receive from the Gettysburg drunk driver?

There are many factors in determining how much compensation is due. While there is no set amount, our Gettysburg injury lawyers seek damages for:

  • All their reasonable medical bills – including care and treatment, if necessary, for the rest of their lives.
  • All lost income – from the date of the accident for the rest of their life – that is due to their injuries.
  • Pain and suffering compensation for their daily pains, hurts, anxiety, and depression.
  • Compensation for scarring and disfigurement.
  • Loss of consortium
  • Property damage – typically the cost to fix or replace your car

The families of a family member who tragically dies in a fatal drunk driving accident have the right to file a wrongful death claim. Damages in wrongful death cases include:

  • The funeral and burial expenses.
  • The amount of income and benefits the decedent would have earned had he/she lived.
  • Compensation for the comfort, services, support, and guidance the decedent would have provided his/her spouse, children, and parents.

In drunk driving cases, we often seek punitive damages – money from the defendant to punish him or her in addition to any criminal penalty he or she received – because nobody should drink and drive.

Generally, victims and families have two years to file their claims. The best course of action is to speak with our experienced Gettysburg drunk driving lawyers as quickly as you can.

Is there a drunk driving injury lawyer near me?

Our Gettysburg office is conveniently located at 66 West Middle Street, Gettysburg, PA, near Route 30 in the heart of Gettysburg. We have four other South Central Pennsylvania locations.

Speak with our dedicated Gettysburg drunk driving injury lawyers now

At KBG Injury Law, we understand how devastating it is to learn that a loved one has died, to know that you will have to live a permanent injury for the rest of your life, or will live with any type of injury that causes excruciating pain. Our lawyers have an impressive record of settling drunk driving cases – often because we know how to work with the police and prosecution. We will try your case before a local jury if the insurance companies refuse to make a just offer.

To talk with a Gettysburg drunk driving accident and injury lawyer about your rights, call us at 717-848-3838 or complete our contact form to schedule an appointment. We have locations in Gettysburg, York, Lancaster, Hanover, and Harrisburg, and proudly represent victims and families throughout South Central Pennsylvania.