Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Drunk Driving Personal Injury Lawyer
All car accidents are terrible and sad in their own way, but a car accident caused by a drunk driver can bring with it a greater, more palpable and devastating sting to the victim or their loved one. Fortunately, there are many victims of drunk driving accidents who survive, but there are many who do not. For many, life is never the same. Merkle Law Firm is an experienced drunk driving accident attorney, who is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He serves people with drunk driving accident cases all across South Dakota. As a lawyer who specializes in personal injury, Bret Merkle and his team have devoted almost 30 years to seeking justice through full financial compensation for many people, negotiating with insurance companies what is rightfully owed to people who have suffered from personal injuries. He has also handled numerous personal injury litigations, taking cases before juries to win bodily injury claims. If you or your loved one have been involved in an auto accident caused by a drunk driver, or if someone you know has died at the hands of a negligent, intoxicated driver, the best thing you can do is contact an expert personal injury lawyer, like Merkle Law Firm. Calling us will get you a free consultation for your drunk driving accident case.
Lawyer For Drunk Driving Accident
Once being involved in a drunk driving accident, one of the best steps you can take for yourself or your loved one is to call a personal injury lawyer. Merkle Law Firm is an experienced personal injury law firm that specializes in bodily injury claims and lawsuits, such as a victim being struck by a drunk driver. Bret Merkle and his team are easy to contact, and we will walk with you every step of the way. We know how a personal injury can upheave and disturb the normalcy of daily living, not just for the victim, but for the family members and friends of the victim injured in a drunk driving accident as well.
Post Drunk Driving Accident
Becoming involved in a drunk driving accident can be disheartening and disparaging, especially in the wake of a feeling of great loss. But Merkle Law Firm shall strive for the justice you seek. We will help walk you through the processes and help to ensure for you maximum financial compensation. We will help to minimize your stress and worries. As we help you, there are ways in which you can help Bret Merkle and his team.
There are several actions you can make that can prove helpful, even vital, to your personal injury drunk driving case. Drunk driving is not permitted by the laws set in place by the State of South Dakota as well as the United States of America. Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is always illegal and is therefore a serious crime. Someone charged for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) can face substantial consequences, including fines, possible imprisonment, possible immobilization or impoundment of vehicle, a DUI Misdemeanor, which involves property damage or personal injury to another, or a DUI Felony, for a repeated, habitual or violent offence or a serious bodily injury inflicted onto another while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide.
With many potential and serious charges, it is paramount to call the police, if you are able to do so. Police officers are well-trained and professional. They will take control over the scene of the accident and guarantee, when on site, that the intoxicated driver who caused the accident cannot flee the scene of the accident or cause further property damage or personal injury to others. By calling emergency services, you should have also requested emergency medical services. When you and/or your loved one are administered medical services, such as ambulance rides, surgical procedures, physical and mental therapy, prescribed medication and any other medical treatments, keep all medical bills and receipts that you were given as a consequence of being hit by a drunk driver. Also, take note and record the names and contact information of doctors, physicians, therapists and other medical professionals who have helped to treat you.
After calling emergency services and hanging up your phone, address any wounds you may have received and try to move you and any passengers away from the accident. Then start taking as many pictures and videos as you can of the damages done to your vehicle, any bodily injuries you and passengers received, as well as the drunk driver and his/her vehicle. Finally, record eye-witness accounts of anyone that witnessed the events that occurred regarding your drunk driving accident.
Compensation for Drunk Driving Accident
There is a greater degree of astonishment and disappointment when people hear of someone getting involved in a drunk driving accident. Drivers who have exceeded the 0.08% blood alcohol concentration (BAC), or have been influenced in any way by drugs and/or alcohol and drove their vehicle and caused an accident, receive more scrutiny before a jury.
Losses of wages and income for yourself or your family enduring pain and suffering – the expertise and skill of a trained personal injury lawyer can help to protect and preserve the evidence necessary to prove these damages. Merkle Law Firm can help to maximize your property damage compensation when trained insurance adjusters try to minimize the amount they want to pay for your damaged vehicle or property.
Compensation for Drunk Driving Accident
Compensatory damages can include lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering and emotional distress.
- The severity of injuries sustained. Life-altering or life-threatening injuries can be sustained in a drunk driving accident. They can be the reason for whiplash, bruises, broken bones, disfigurement, amputation, fatality etc.
- The cost of medical treatments and services. An ambulance ride to the emergency room or I.C.U., visits to the hospital, surgical procedures, mental and physical therapies, prescribed medications and other medical or clinical services can be expensive. Though medical treatment is necessary and vital for the recovery of a drunk driving accident victim’s health, medical bills can be expensive, especially when the victim does not own insurance. Even with insurance, medical bills are costly.
- The loss of income. Sustaining physical and mental injuries as a result of a drunk driving accident can cost more than medical treatments and therapies, it can cost someone their job. Either for a short time or indefinitely, losing the physical or mental ability to perform a job or task in one’s employment can reduce revenue or wage-earnings.
- Emotional and personal diminution. Normal, everyday living can be upturned and vastly disrupted by a drunk driving accident for a victim of loved ones of a victim. Serious bodily injuries can be sustained as a result of a negligent, intoxicated driver, leaving one incapable of doing small tasks they would normally be able to do on their own. Having to depend and lean on others daily can make one feel burdensome and altogether useless. Emotional health and personhood can be shaken after a drunk driving accident.
- Enduring physical pain. Physical pain that persists after a long time post-accident can be discomforting and frustrating. Physical pain is hard to prove before a jury, due to its internal nature and the personal tolerance of pain. However, pain and suffering are still real and should be accounted for and expressed.
- The severity of damage to property. Property damage includes any damage done to personal belongings, such as a personal vehicle. The state of a drunk driving victim’s car, motorcycle, bicycle etc. can increase the amount of financial compensation the victim is granted. The cost of mechanical inspection, car repairs or the act of purchasing a new vehicle entirely because the crashed car was totaled can add to compensation.
A drunk driving accident can often result in neck injuries, back injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injuries, and concussions. For other motor vehicle litigation and cases involving wrongful death, worker’s compensation, read more about how we help with claims for drunk driving accidents, ATV accidents, bus accidents, car accidents, hit and run accidents, motorcycle accidents, and semi-truck and 18-wheeler accidents.
Bret Merkle has been litigating drunk driving accident personal injury cases against some of the largest law firms and the best lawyers for almost 30 years, regularly reaching fair results for his clients. When you visit Merkle Law Firm for the first time, you will be able to meet with Bret himself and discuss your case in detail. You will be working in partnership with Bret during the entirety of your case. Bret takes great pride in answering your calls, emails and text messages as soon as possible, and he will communicate with you personally. You can even call or text Bret on his personal cell phone at (605) 351-6375. Schedule your free case review today.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained on this website are for informational purposes and are not to be considered advertising or drunk driving accident legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute or create, an attorney-client relationship between this firm and/or any lawyer in this firm with any reader or recipient of this information. Internet subscribers and online readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Please do not send us confidential information until you speak with us and get authorization to do so. Any reference or link to a third party found on our internet site is not an express or implied endorsement by us to that third party or the information provided.