Even having just one or two drinks can significantly affect a driver’s reaction time and ability to concentrate. Having more than that makes a person unable to drive a motor vehicle safely. Although driving while impaired is irresponsible and against Pennsylvania law, people still choose to exhibit this reckless behavior—sometimes with devastating consequences.
If a drunk driver crashed into you and caused serious physical injury, their illegal and dangerous actions can serve as grounds for a lawsuit. With help from an attorney who handles drunk driving car accidents in Hershey, you can seek compensation for the harm you should’ve never suffered. A winning car accident lawyer at our firm will fight tirelessly for you and your best interests. At Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, we have decades of experience helping people in your situation seek justice.
What Counts as Drunk Driving?
Under Pennsylvania law, someone with a blood alcohol concentration of over 0.08% cannot legally drive any car, truck, motorcycle, or other motor vehicle on public roads. The law also prohibits anyone “impaired” by alcohol or drugs from getting behind the wheel. Law enforcement officers can determine impairment through field sobriety tests and their own observations after pulling someone over or responding to a crash scene.
Even harsher restrictions apply to commercial drivers, who can be charged with DUI if their BAC exceeds 0.04%. Drivers under 21 violate the law if their BAC behind the wheel is over 0.02%. Anyone convicted of drunk driving charges in Pennsylvania may face various criminal penalties as well as administrative sanctions like the loss of their driver’s license. As our lawyers can explain, these charges would be a separate case from any civil lawsuit built around a car crash in Hershey.
Holding a Drunk Driver Liable for a Car Crash
Driving while intoxicated is a “breach” of a driver’s duty to act lawfully and responsibly on Pennsylvania roads. If your Hershey attorney can prove that someone else involved in the wreck was drunk at the time, you can use that fact to prove them legally “negligent” and hold them financially liable for your crash-related damages.
That said, you don’t necessarily have to prove someone else was drunk to hold them legally liable for a car accident. For example, suppose someone is driving home from the bar, coasts through a red light, and T-bones another car in the intersection advancing through a green light. Regardless of whether the first person had an illegal BAC, they still broke the law by running the light. This means they were negligent, even if there’s no evidence that they were meaningfully impaired by alcohol.
Our skilled local attorneys can investigate a car crash and help prove the other driver’s negligence, whether due to intoxication, recklessness, or carelessness.
Call a Hershey Attorney for Drunk Driving Car Accident Litigation
Filing a lawsuit over a crash caused by a drunk driver is far from simple. Many legal restrictions, regulations, and roadblocks might keep you from getting paid fairly for your losses, especially if you’re unfamiliar with Pennsylvania civil law.
Guidance from a winning car accident lawyer will increase your chances of getting the best possible outcome from your case. At Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, we know how to fight and win for those injured in drunk driving car accidents in Hershey. In a local case, we won $3.5 million for a child hit by a drunk driver while she was riding her bike. Call us today to set up a free, no-obligation consultation about your situation.
