Every 39 minutes in America, someone dies in a drunk driving crash, and that’s not to mention all the people who survive fatal crashes with significant injuries. The reality is that being hit by a drunk driver creates a unique kind of trauma where someone’s reckless choice to drink alcohol and drive has suddenly upended your life, causing physical harm and financial burdens that can be challenging to overcome.
Car accidents in Reno can cause devastating, life-threatening injuries that can impact your physical abilities, employment opportunities, and family life. Whether you’ve recently been involved in a car crash or want to be prepared, understanding what to do after a drunk driving accident can make the difference between struggling alone and securing the justice you deserve.
Fast Facts About Car Crashes
Even though it’s illegal to drink alcohol and drive in the United States, far too many people choose to do it anyway, and it’s a choice with horrific consequences. Anytime someone chooses to drive drunk, they put the lives of anybody else on the road at risk, and these crashes can cause severe injuries or even death.
- About one in three fatal car accidents in the U.S. involve alcohol impairment.
- In 2022 alone, over 13,000 people died in these preventable accidents.
- Motorcycle drivers had the highest percentage of drunk operators in 2022 compared to car and truck drivers.
Drunk Driving Deaths Are on the Rise in Reno
Reno is no exception to the nationwide statistics above and has even seen increases in fatal crashes in the last few years, with over 400 fatalities in 2022 alone. Out of those accidents, about 65 (or 15%) were drunk driving crashes.
Any accident involving impaired driving is an accident that should never happen.
If you or a family member has been a victim of an accident like this, know you’re not alone. Help is only a phone call away. Coulter Harsh Law specializes in personal injury cases like yours. We will use our resources and expertise to hold negligent drivers accountable for their actions and secure the financial compensation you need to recover.
Although our law firm is on standby, ready to advocate strongly for our clients, let’s walk through what you can do to protect yourself if you’ve been in a crash involving alcohol.
The Critical First Hour:
Before anything else, make sure you’re safe. Move your vehicle to the shoulder or a safe location away from traffic, and turn on your hazard lights. However, if moving your vehicle would jeopardize your safety or you have serious injuries, stay where you are with your seatbelt fastened until help arrives.
Unlike minor fender-benders, where you might consider calling a non-emergency number, suspected drunk driving accidents always warrant a 911 call.
Police can quickly detain the impaired driver so they cannot flee the scene. Law enforcement can conduct field sobriety tests while the driver is still intoxicated and document any alcohol in or around the vehicle, which will become part of the official accident report and help establish liability.
It’s especially important to seek medical care after an auto accident involving an impaired driver. People who drink alcohol and drive can cause harm in many different ways than a sober driver would, like:
- Failing to brake or attempting evasive maneuvers
- More frequently causing head-on collisions
- Often traveling at excessive speeds
- Failing to realize they’ve hit someone
A 911 dispatcher can send an ambulance to the accident site so you can receive prompt medical care if you’re injured. Receiving medical treatment immediately also establishes a record of your accident injuries so nobody can deny they were a result of this crash. The emergency medical personnel may want to take you to an emergency room, and you should always agree to receive further medical care.
While waiting for the police to arrive, you can gather evidence as long as you’re not too injured to do so. Use your mobile phone to take photos of any vehicle damage (yours and the impaired driver’s), skid marks, or debris. That includes any visible damage to the surrounding area — light posts, fences, street signs, and nearby buildings. Take photos from multiple angles to gather thorough evidence.
Write down or record voice notes about what happened so you can discuss the events with your auto accident lawyers later. Note the time, weather conditions, and any other details that might speak to the circumstances of your accident. Bad weather can make it harder to prove liability, as it calls into question whether the accident was caused by the conditions or the driver’s decisions and alcohol use.
Before driving away from the scene, ask for contact information from witnesses to provide your auto accident lawyers. Witness statements can speak to liability and serve as evidence for a settlement.
The more information you can provide your accident attorneys, the higher your chance of receiving maximum compensation in your personal injury claim.
How to Protect Yourself After a Drunk Driver Car Accident
The first hour after your car accident will likely go fast. Don’t worry too much if you cannot complete the steps above. Any attorney worth their fee will diligently gather evidence and represent your interests during your claim. And you can still protect yourself in the days and weeks following your accident.
Even if you feel “fine,” let a medical professional evaluate you after your car accident. It’s common for serious injuries to take time to show up fully. For example, you may be in survival mode after an auto accident with a lot of adrenaline in your system, which can mask pain. It could take days or even weeks for the discomfort of a musculoskeletal injury to set in. Severe injuries, too, can take time to become obvious. A head injury can go from symptomless to critical in a matter of hours.
Let a medical professional assess you fully, such as a doctor in the ER or your primary care provider. Medical documentation creates an official record linking your injuries to the crash, and a thorough medical evaluation can ensure nothing is missing from that record. Besides, early medical intervention can lead to better recovery outcomes.
As frustrating as it is, insurance companies are more likely to take a claim seriously when a victim pursues prompt medical care. If you delay care or refuse to receive care, it gives insurance companies an opportunity to deny your claim. It’s in your best interest, physically and legally, to get evaluated as soon as possible after an auto accident.
Personal injury cases can be incredibly complex, and you need legal experts to reduce your stress and ensure a good outcome for you and your family. Of course, your health and well-being are priority one after a car accident, but the sooner you can secure an accident attorney, the better.
Accident attorneys worth your time will have extensive experience with claims like yours, a record of securing fair financial compensation for their clients, and genuinely care about their clients and their families.
A Car Accident Attorney Will Fight for You
After your auto accident, you’ll have to deal with your insurance company, the at-fault driver’s insurance, and potentially your health insurance to help pay for treatment. It’s in the insurance companies’ interest to make a profit, which means denying you the compensation you deserve.
Without accident attorneys behind you, it’s easy to make mistakes and miss out on maximum compensation. At Coulter Harsh Law, we take pride in holding insurance companies accountable just as much as the negligent party in our clients’ car accidents. We give our clients the following advice:
- Never accept the first settlement offer.
- Don’t give recorded statements without legal counsel.
- Don’t sign anything without attorney review.
- Don’t post about the accident on social media.
Any of the above can be used by the at-fault driver’s legal representation or the insurance companies to invalidate your claim.
Your Legal Options
When a drunk driver hits your vehicle, multiple legal pathways may be available to you depending on the circumstances of the collision and whether the driver killed anybody.
- Criminal Charges vs. Civil Claims
- Vehicular Manslaughter Cases
- Medical Bill Recovery Options From A Drunk Driver Accident
- Non-Economic Damages
While the state of Nevada may pursue criminal charges against the drunk driver — from driving under the influence charges to vehicular manslaughter — you can still pursue civil damages separately. Criminal charges focus on punishing the offender while civil claims help victims recover damages through the claims process.
If impaired driving causes someone to die in the collision, the driver may face these criminal charges, which can be charged as a felony, resulting in significant prison time, levy heavy fines on the offender, or even lead to their driver’s license being revoked.
For surviving family members, these criminal consequences, while they may bring a sense of justice, fail to address financial losses. A wrongful death civil claim can help families recover:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Lost future income
- Loss of companionship
- Emotional suffering
- Medical expenses before death
After your collision, you may require emergency medical care, surgery, in-patient hospital stays, rehabilitation services, and ongoing treatment and care for months or even years. You may wonder how you’ll pay for these medical bills. If somebody else’s negligence caused your accident, your attorney can help you secure compensation.
The at-fault driver’s insurance should pay for your damages through the claims process, but it’s common for insurance to push back, try to disprove your claim, or reduce what you’re owed. Insurance policies have limits, so you need an experienced lawyer who can overcome any barriers.
Initially, your medical insurance may cover your medical bills. Once you receive a settlement, your insurance may require a portion to cover the treatment costs for your injuries. However, your lawyer can help you minimize this amount so you receive more of the settlement.
Some car insurance policies include uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which covers damages if the other driver lacks adequate insurance. You should check to see if your policy includes this coverage.
Beyond medical bills and compensation for lost wages, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress, anxiety, and depression
- Loss of enjoyment
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Loss of consortium (impact on marriage/family relationships)
Nevada places no cap on these damages in drunk driving cases, recognizing the profound impact these accidents can have on victims’ lives. Your lawyer will recognize the many ways your collision has impacted you and seek damages that set you on a pathway to recovery.
When someone’s actions go beyond negligence and become malicious or particularly reckless, Coulter Harsh Law might seek punitive damages against the at-fault party for our clients. These damages are intended to send a message that, in the eyes of the law, this behavior will not be tolerated.
Hire a Law Firm Committed to Your Recovery
We Can Help.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you don’t have to navigate this challenging time alone. At Coulter Harsh Law, we will vigorously defend your rights while you focus on healing. Contact us today for a free consultation to share your story and understand what’s possible with qualified accident attorneys by your side.
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