Drunk driving has been illegal in New Jersey since 1906, making it the first state in the entire country to specifically outlaw it. Despite that, many people choose to get behind the wheel while impaired by drugs or alcohol. Sometimes, those people end up causing traffic accidents that have life-altering consequences for everyone involved.
If you’ve been hurt in a drunk driving car accident in Eatontown that wasn’t your fault, you may have more than one option for seeking financial recovery to help cover your crash-related losses. If you want the best chance of getting a positive case result, you want to hire and work closely with a car accident lawyer who knows how to win cases like yours through years of experience winning similar claims in the past.
Proving Someone Else Was Drunk Behind the Wheel
It’s against the law in New Jersey to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or more or to drive while impaired in any way by drugs or alcohol in the eyes of a police officer. Because this behavior is illegal, anyone who engages in it has automatically violated the duty of care they owe other people on the road with them. If you can prove that a breach of duty like this was the main cause of a crash, you can use that as strong grounds to file suit under the legal theory of negligence.
Unfortunately, police officers don’t always figure out at the scene of a crash that someone involved in it was driving drunk, and even if they do, their criminal case for DUI may still be in progress by the time you need to sue over your crash-related damages. Among other things, a legal professional can help you prove fault for a drunk driving car wreck in Eatontown by collecting and presenting other forms of evidence, such as witness testimony, security or dashboard camera footage, and even receipts from bars or liquor stores showing when a drunk driver bought alcohol before driving.
What Damages Can You Sue a Drunk Driver For?
Your legal representative can also help make sure you get paid fairly for every form of harm your wreck will ever cause you, including things like:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Emotional anguish and trauma
- Lost work wages and benefits
- Medical bills and car repair or replacement costs not already covered by insurance
Your lawyer can guide you through the no-fault insurance rules set by New Jersey law, which might keep you from getting all the money you deserve if you’re not prepared to navigate around them. Likewise, they can make sure your claim over an Eatontown DUI car crash is filed within the deadlines set by the statute of limitations, which can sneak up on injured people faster than they expect.
Get Help from an Eatontown Attorney with a Drunk Driving Car Accident Lawsuit
Drunk drivers are much more common than you might want to believe, especially late at night and around major holidays. No matter when or where a drunk driving car accident in Eatontown happens, you deserve to be paid fairly for any harm you suffer solely because of another person’s illegal activity.
A skilled lawyer can step in to help you understand and enforce your rights under New Jersey law. Call today to learn more.
