Hartford Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Overall, there has been a reduction in deaths and injuries related to or driving under the influence (DUI) across the country over the past 20 years because of stepped-up law enforcement efforts, changes in laws on drinking age limits, and more awareness of the dangers of DUI. However, DUI is still a big problem because drunk driving accidents account for one-third of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S.

Connecticut is even a bit higher than the national average, and in a recent year, over 39 percent of traffic fatalities involved drunk driving. One-third of these drunk driving crashes involved repeat offenders, and over 63 percent involved a driver with a high blood alcohol content (BAC) over .15 percent.

How Alcohol Impairs Driving

The legal BAC limit across the United States is .08 percent. Still, the amount of alcohol needed to reach or exceed that limit depends on several factors, including a person’s height, gender, weight, and whether they ate before drinking.

For most people, having one drink generally translates to a BAC of about .02 percent, which reduces one’s ability to multi-task or visually focus on one object. The higher the BAC, the less one can control one’s bodily functions, and the higher the risk for a collision when driving. At .08 percent, there can be short-term memory loss, inability to concentrate, impaired judgment, loss of self-control, and diminished ability to detect dangers around you.

When Can I Get Compensation?

Connecticut is an at-fault state, which means that if you have suffered an injury in a traffic accident and you wish to pursue an insurance claim for compensation, you must prove that the other driver is to blame for the accident. If you are pursuing an insurance claim, you will need to do so against the at-fault driver’s insurance provider.

However, because Connecticut follows a modified comparative negligence rule, you do not even have to prove that the other driver was entirely at fault for the accident – rather, it is sufficient to only prove that the other driver was more at fault than you were. You are eligible to obtain compensation so long as you were less than 50 percent at fault.

At the office of Michael L. Chambers, Jr., Attorney at Law, you can count on excellent legal advice and representation in:

• Examining Evidence. There is often dispute regarding who caused a crash, especially if a drunk driver did not end up arrested. Should that be the case, we will work with law enforcement and experts to determine exactly what happened in the accident and who is responsible.
• Determining Maximum Compensation. If you suffered a severe injury, then chances are you may not be going back to work anytime soon. You may also require ongoing medical care for some time. We work with you in evaluating your injuries and assist in determining how the accident changed your life and the lives of your loved ones. This allows us to determine the maximum compensation you can obtain for your injuries and losses.
• Negotiating with Insurance Company. In most cases, you will likely get a phone call from an insurance company seeking to have you accept a quick settlement rather than extend the claim process. However, it is in your best interest to have an experienced lawyer handle these negotiations for you because they can be complex and challenging. The objective for insurance companies is to pay out as little as they can for every accident involving their policies. Your objective is to try and get the maximum you can, so having an experienced accident lawyer is a big plus as they know how to negotiate and get the best outcome for you. That is exactly what you can expect from our law firm – namely, excellent negotiation using our experience, skills, and resources.
• Court Representation. If we have done our best to obtain the maximum compensation you deserve from the insurance company, but we are not satisfied with the outcome, we may advise you to file a lawsuit and have your case proceed toward a court trial. Should that be the direction that you choose to go in your case, you can count on us to thoroughly prepare you and gather all the necessary evidence to ensure success at trial. However, it is important to note that just because you decide to pursue litigation and we file a case in court for you, it does not mean that the case will ultimately go to trial. Rather, chances are the case will settle without a trial because, on average, about 95 percent of personal injury cases typically resolve during pretrial settlement negotiations.