Staten Island Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer
Are You The Victim of A Drunk Driving Accident?
Intoxicated drivers put everyone at risk every time they get in a car. Most drunk drivers only cause harm to themselves, but too many of them also injure or kill passengers, other drivers, and unfortunate pedestrians. If you think this happens only rarely, you are mistaken. In one recent study, as many as 17 million drivers admitted to driving drunk at least once. In 2011, more than 1.2 million drivers were arrested for driving while intoxicated. The odds are not good: 1 out of 3 Americans will be involved in at least one drunk driving accident in their lifetime.
Almost one third of all fatal vehicle accidents in the US each year are caused by drunk drivers. They cause over 300,000 serious injuries and nearly 10,000 deaths, as well as an estimated minimum of $130 billion in medical costs, damages, and other expenses. While the dollar amount is enormous, it is not the most important consideration. The longest-lasting and most deeply felt consequences of drunk driving are the affects of these terrible accidents on the families of those who lose loved ones.
When a spouse is unexpectedly killed or when a child finds herself without parents that family might never be able to pick up the pieces. It is not only the unexpected stress and profound grief that can tear a family apart; the loss of a deceased spouse’s income can expose a family to immediate and intense financial pressures. Working with a Staten Island firm that knows its way around drunk driving accident cases is a sound approach to moving forward.
Drunken driving accident claims can sometimes require more intense scrutiny than other accident cases. Victims and their lawyers must pay attention to every detail. The legal team needs to exhaustively document and reconstruct the accident, investigate the parties involved, locate and interview witnesses, and file all necessary claims and reports. The laws of New York State, specifically the “Dram Shop Act,” allow victims to hold bar and club owners and other parties liable if they serve alcohol to a “visibly intoxicated” person. A knowledgeable Staten Island attorney will know to investigate this possibility.
Experienced Staten Island Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys
The painful memory of a loved one’s loss or the suffering caused by your physical injuries can’t be undone by a legal judgment or a monetary award. But the survivors of drunk driving accidents still have lives to live and bills to pay, and when the negligent actions of another cause injury and death they need to be held accountable. Pick up the phone to find out how Kuharski, Levitz, & Giovinazzo can help.