Possible Lawsuits Against Drunk Car Drivers Who Cause Accidents
Drunk drivers do not just face criminal penalties for having caused a car accident but could be sued in a civil court too. In fact,cases involving injuries caused by drunk drivers frequently appear in civil courts. While drunk drivers could face major criminal charges,with jail time and restitution as penalties,they could also be at the receiving end of civil liability,in case the victims decide to sue them with help from a -. If your loved one is killed or injured by a drunk car driver,civil suits could be your ideal route for suing a drunk driver and recovering monetary compensation for the losses incurred.
Civil Suits vs. Criminal Proceedings
A drunk driving civil suit is a distinct process from the criminal proceedings the driver could face. Generally,criminally proceedings are devised to safeguard people from harm by serving as a drunk driving deterrent,and to penalize the driver for being reckless on the road. Drunk drivers could be prosecuted on criminal grounds even if there isn’t any injury or accident to report.
A drunk driving-based civil case is usually an injury lawsuit that the victim files,or the victim’s kin files if a fatality happened. A civil lawsuit is typically the lone recourse when trying to recoup costs associated with medical treatment,damaged property,lost wages,etc. Civil suits,based upon your jurisdiction’s law,could also offer the option to recoup non-economic damages,such as compensation for suffering and pain.
No-Fault Laws
No-fault laws directly impact your capacity to file civil lawsuits against drunk drivers. The impact no-fault laws have on drunk driving civil lawsuits is frequently discussed in zero-fault states. Drunk drivers,unlike in complete negligence states,aren’t automatically subjected to civil liability in no-fault regions. Even if a drunk driver clearly injured you via a negligent act,a threshold must be met before you could proceed with a lawsuit.