Lexington Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys
Fighting for the Rights of Injured Victims Since 1982
A drunk driving accident can change everything in seconds. Injuries, property damage, mounting medical bills, and lost income follow victims and families long after the crash itself. At The Rick Hall Law Firm, LLC, we’ve helped individuals and families throughout South Carolina navigate the legal process after impaired-driving collisions since 1982. Our Lexington drunk driving accident attorneys pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and other supported losses.
It’s important to understand that a civil personal injury claim is separate from any criminal DUI investigation or prosecution. Whether or not the at-fault driver faces criminal charges, you may still have a right to pursue civil compensation. Liability, causation, insurance, injury severity, and available damages are each determined on their own facts under South Carolina law.
To schedule a consultation, call (803) 590-9900 or contact us online.
Common Causes of Drunk Driving Accidents
Alcohol and drugs can impair the abilities needed to drive safely.
Impairment can affect drivers in several ways, including:
- Impaired Judgment: Alcohol and drugs can impair a person’s judgment, leading them to make reckless decisions while driving, such as speeding, tailgating, or ignoring traffic signals.
- Reduced Reaction Time: Intoxication slows down a driver’s reaction time, making it difficult to respond promptly to unexpected situations on the road, such as sudden stops or swerving vehicles.
- Decreased Coordination: Alcohol and drugs can affect a driver’s physical coordination, making it challenging to maintain proper control of the vehicle, steer accurately, and maintain lane discipline.
- Blurred Vision: Impaired vision can result from intoxication, affecting a driver’s ability to see clearly and judge distances accurately, increasing the risk of collisions.
- Drowsiness: Alcohol and certain drugs can induce drowsiness or fatigue, leading to inattentiveness and the potential for falling asleep at the wheel.
- Overconfidence: Some individuals under the influence may become overconfident in their driving abilities, taking unnecessary risks and engaging in dangerous behaviors.
- Inability to Concentrate: Alcohol and drugs can hinder a driver’s ability to focus on the road and maintain attention to their surroundings, making it easier to miss critical cues.
- Reduced Peripheral Vision: Intoxication may reduce a driver’s peripheral vision, making it challenging to spot pedestrians, cyclists, or vehicles in their blind spots.
- Impaired Judgment of Speed and Distance: Alcohol and drugs can distort a driver’s perception of speed and distance, making it difficult to gauge safe following distances or make accurate judgments when changing lanes or passing.
Understanding the Consequences of Drunk Driving Accidents
A fatal impaired-driving collision may give surviving family members grounds to pursue a wrongful death claim. This type of claim involves different parties, procedures, and damages from a standard personal injury action.
Key consequences that injured victims and families should understand include:
- Severe Injuries: Drunk driving accidents can result in serious injuries, including broken bones, head trauma, spinal cord injuries, and fatalities.
- Criminal Proceedings: In addition to facing civil claims, a drunk driver may face criminal charges and penalties, including fines, license suspension, and potential imprisonment. However, criminal penalties imposed on a driver don’t automatically compensate an injured victim for civil losses.
- Insurance Claims: Depending on the facts and available coverage, compensation may come from the at-fault driver’s liability policy, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, or both. What’s available in any given case depends on the specific circumstances and applicable policy terms.
- Punitive Damages: In some cases, South Carolina law permits punitive damages when the evidence supports a finding of wilful, wanton, or reckless conduct. Whether punitive damages apply is fact-dependent and subject to South Carolina law.
What Should I Do after a Drunk Driving Accident?
Act promptly, but put your safety and medical needs first. Once any immediate danger has passed, the following steps can preserve information and protect a potential claim.
After a drunk driving accident, you should:
- Call the police and request an accident report
- Seek medical treatment
- Photograph the scene, vehicle damage, and visible injuries if you can do so safely
- Collect available witness information
- Contact your insurance company
- Contact an attorney
If an insurer asks for a detailed statement, you can say that you want to speak with our attorneys first. Avoid admitting fault or signing a release before you understand how it may affect your claim. We can handle insurance communications and advise you about requests for information.
What Damages Can I Recover after a Drunk Driving Accident?
You may be entitled to compensation after a drunk driving accident. The value and availability of damages depend on the evidence, the severity of your injuries, your recovery needs, the effect on your ability to work, and applicable insurance coverage. Some losses are immediate and documentable; others, such as future medical care or diminished earning capacity, may require supporting medical, vocational, or financial evidence.
You may be able to recover damages for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earnings
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Loss of household services
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
Our attorneys can evaluate the full scope of your losses. Depending on the facts, you may also be able to pursue punitive damages under South Carolina law. Unlike compensatory damages, punitive damages aren’t meant to compensate you for your losses. They are designed to hold the responsible party accountable for particularly reckless conduct. South Carolina personal injury claims are generally subject to a three-year limitations period, though exceptions and shorter deadlines may apply depending on the circumstances, so acting promptly matters.
How Can a Lexington Drunk Driving Accident Attorney Help Me?
We can assess your legal options, explain the claims process, and identify the evidence needed to protect your interests. Our team at The Rick Hall Law Firm, LLC provides personalized guidance to injured individuals and families facing medical bills, lost income, and uncertainty after an impaired-driving collision.
We work to build a complete picture of what happened. That process can involve reviewing the police accident report, gathering witness accounts, examining vehicle and scene evidence, obtaining medical records, and analyzing available breath or blood alcohol testing information and arrest records. Insurance coverage in these cases can be more complex than it first appears. Depending on the facts, the at-fault driver’s liability policy may not be the only relevant coverage. Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may also apply, and we can evaluate the policies and circumstances involved.
A civil claim can move forward even when the related criminal case has a different outcome. Criminal and civil proceedings operate under different legal standards and serve different purposes, so a result in one doesn’t determine the outcome in the other. Our firm is available around the clock, not just during standard office hours. We serve clients throughout South Carolina and beyond while maintaining a personalized approach to every case. When the facts support it, we’re prepared to take a case to trial rather than accept a settlement that doesn’t account for the client’s supported losses.
To book a consultation, call (803) 590-9900 or use our online contact form.
Our Settlements & Verdicts
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$2,000,000 Wrongful Death
Wrongful death and survival action in which our client’s husband was killed after being struck by a tractor that had just collided with a wide load.
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$1,000,000 Defective Product
The plaintiff and her two children, causing severe burns which resulted in extensive burn treatment, including skin grafts.
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$550,000 Negligently Performed Hip Operation
The client suffered as a result of a negligently performed hip operation.
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$550,000 Neck Injury
The client suffered severe neck injury due to a rear-end collision.
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$550,000 Severe Burn
The plaintiff was struck in the neck by a shell fired from a defective Sixteen Shot Super Stallion causing severe burn injuries to neck that required multiple surgeries.
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$525,000 Tractor-Trailer Collision
The plaintiff suffered neck pain and injury. Plaintiff was hit by a tractor-trailer whose driver was talking on the cell phone and not paying attention.
Hear It From Our Clients
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"He takes your case personally"Rick Hall represented my family in a case that involved the wrongful death of our mother. I can tell you, from my heart, that this man and his staff care deeply.Vivian G.
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"I wasn't just another case to him"I want to thank Mr. Hall and everyone in his office that helped me with my case. They are the most courteous and professional group I can recall working with when I needed help.Tripp R.
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"The best!"
You are the most awesome lawyer ever... the best! And his staff... the very best.
Cheryl T. -
"Forever grateful"I want to cry. Thank you so much for being there for our family and helping us through our tragedy. There are no words to describe the impact you had and still have, in our lives.Debbie J.
