Drunk driving accidents can cause devastating injuries because impaired drivers often have reduced judgment, slower reaction times, and difficulty controlling their vehicles. If you were injured by an impaired driver in Tucson, you may be entitled to pursue compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses.
Our Tucson car accident lawyers can investigate the collision, gather evidence of the driver’s impairment, and identify every potentially liable party. If a bar, restaurant, or liquor store unlawfully served the driver, we can also determine whether the establishment may share responsibility under Arizona’s dram shop law. Call The Mercaldo Law Firm at (520) 624-1400 today for a free consultation with a Tucson drunk driving accident lawyer.
Why Choose The Mercaldo Law Firm for Your Tucson Drunk Driving Accident Claim?
The attorneys with the Mercaldo Law Firm have more than 40 years of experience with personal injury lawsuits and an impressive record of jury verdicts for our clients, worth millions of dollars in damages. We have handled a number of dram shop liability cases, in which alcohol servers are held responsible when their negligence contributes to drunk driving and DUI accidents.
The Mercaldo Law Firm’s reputation was built on our ability to thoroughly prepare a case. We carefully review evidence to determine an accident’s cause and identify the negligent party. We work closely with investigators such as accident scene reconstructionists, toxicologists, and other experts. We interview witnesses and examine police reports and any other evidence that may reveal if the drunk driver who struck you had been over-served by an establishment or liquor store.
How Do Dram Shop Laws Apply to Tucson Drunk Driving Accidents?
Waitpersons and bartenders at bars and restaurants have legal responsibilities when they serve alcoholic beverages. They are legally required to check photo IDs, and to refuse to serve alcohol to customers who are obviously intoxicated. Under Arizona’s Dram shop law, an alcohol server or seller’s actions can be construed as negligent and potentially responsible for serious injuries caused by patrons when they fail to meet these legal obligations.
What Types of Accidents Happen In Tucson Drunk Driving Cases?
According to alarming statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 32 people die from drunk driving accidents each day in the U.S. Drunk drivers have impaired judgment, reduced reaction times, vision changes, decreased spatial awareness, and other adverse effects ranging from over-confidence to extreme fatigue. Common types of car accidents resulting from drunk driving include the following:
- T-bone accidents or angle collisions
- Head-on collisions
- Wrong-way accidents on multi-lane highways and one-way streets
- Rear-end collisions
- Sideswipe accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
A drunk driver’s reduced reaction time often contributes to the severity of injuries in DUI accidents in Tucson and elsewhere because the impaired driver may fail to reduce speed, deploy brakes, or swerve their vehicle to minimize the impact of a collision.
Types of Serious Injuries In Tucson Drunk Driving Cases
Experiencing a serious car accident is a terrifying experience, especially when it causes painful and potentially debilitating or life-threatening injuries. Common injuries in drunk driving accidents include the following:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) ranging from concussions to severe diffuse axonal injuries
- Fractures
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Internal organ injuries and internal bleeding
- Soft-tissue injuries like sprains, torn ligaments, and tendon damage to knees, shoulders, wrists, and ankles
- Thoracic injuries from seatbelts
- Spinal cord injuries
- Burns
- Traumatic amputations
- Lacerations, contusions, and abrasions
If a drunk driving accident resulted in the loss of a loved one, our Tucson wrongful death lawyers can explain your family’s legal options and help you pursue accountability.
What Damages Can I Recover In a Drunk Driving Case In Tucson?
If we accept your case, the Mercaldo Law Firm’s objective will be to help you obtain maximum financial compensation for all DUI accident injury expenses, current or overdue medical bills, costs of future medical needs, lost income from time off the job, repair or replacement of your own motor vehicle, pain and suffering, and other losses.
Proving Liability In a Tucson Drunk Driving Accident Claim
Even when a driver is clearly intoxicated at the accident scene and regardless of the outcome of the DUI charges against the impaired driver, the driver’s insurance company may still dispute its policyholder’s liability for the accident and attempt to assign a percentage of fault to the injury victim to reduce the amount they have to pay on the claim. An experienced drunk driving accident lawyer defends their clients’ rights to the full value of their damages by investigating the accident and compiling evidence of the driver’s liability and/or the liability of the business that over-served them. Proving liability requires compelling evidence that meets the following legal standards of liability:
- The driver owed a legal duty of reasonable care to the injury victim and others on the roadway
- They breached this duty through negligence or wrongdoing
- The breach of duty directly caused the accident and injury
- The injury victim suffered damages from the injury
An experienced attorney sends their findings to the drunk driver’s insurance company in an evidence-backed demand package seeking the maximum available compensation for their clients.
Contact Our Tucson Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers
Call the Mercaldo Law Firm at (520) 624-1400 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with our Tucson drunk driving accident lawyers.