If you’re driving a regular commuter car, you can be arrested and likely later convicted of driving under the influence if you have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or more. If you’re driving a commercial tractor-trailer, blowing a 0.04 in a Breathalyzer or getting the same result from a blood or saliva test will get you a DUI charge. It’ll likely make you civilly liable for any traffic collision you caused through your drunk driving.
Despite how clear-cut the law is, getting a favorable result from a civil claim based on a drunk driving truck accident in Norristown can be far from simple in practice. If you want the best shot possible of getting paid what you deserve for your damages, you need help from our experienced truck accident lawyers sooner rather than later.
What to Do After Getting Hit by a Drunk Trucker
Unfortunately, it’s common for traffic accidents involving semi-trucks to have serious consequences for everyone involved. If you get hurt badly enough in a Norristown drunk driving truck accident to need emergency medical care, getting the treatment you need should be your only priority afterward. If your injuries are less severe, you may be able to do a few things at the scene that could be helpful later on if you want to file a civil lawsuit over the wreck. Specifically, you should do your best to do all the following:
- Exchange contact and insurance information with everyone directly involved in the crash, as required by Pennsylvania law
- Get contact information from witnesses who weren’t directly involved but who saw the crash happen
- Take pictures on your phone of the area where the crash happened, as well as all damage suffered by the vehicles involved
- Make note of nearby surveillance and dashboard cameras which might’ve recorded the crash as it played out
- Write down details you remember about what you were doing before the crash and what you remember the truck driver doing
Our attorneys can use this information to collect additional evidence and construct the strongest claim possible on your behalf.
What Damages Can You Get Paid for After a Truck Crash?
Because of how traumatic truck wrecks in Norristown caused by drunk truck drivers often are, it can be especially important in the aftermath of one to seek civil recovery for long-term losses in addition to short-term ones. For example, you’ll need to seek enough money to cover the costs of emergency medical care and expected future costs of things like physical therapy, assistive equipment like wheelchairs, medications, and in-home assistance.
Other damages that may play a role in this sort of case include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Lost work wages and long-term earning ability
- Mental anguish and distress
- Personal property damage, plus disability-related costs for things like home and vehicle modifications
- Loss of life’s pleasures
Support from a winning legal professional is essential to identifying, giving a fair financial value to, and effectively demanding payment for all the losses you’ve suffered from your wreck.
Get in Touch with a Norristown Attorney About Your Drunk Driving Truck Accident Lawsuit
No one deserves to get hurt in a traffic wreck caused by a drunk driver, and certainly not one who was operating a tractor-trailer weighing tens of thousands of pounds. Unfortunately, wrecks like this happen almost every day in Pennsylvania, and many of them cause injuries with life-altering and even life-threatening consequences.
Working closely with Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers from start to finish of your lawsuit over a drunk driving truck accident in Norristown will dramatically improve your chances of getting the restitution you need for the harm you should never have sustained. Learn more by calling today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
