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Los Angeles Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Every year, drunk drivers in Los Angeles kill dozens of people and leave thousands more struggling with life-changing injuries. If you have been hit by someone who was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you deserve to be compensated. Maximize your financial recovery by calling the Los Angeles drunk driving lawyers at The Lanier Law Firm for help.

Since 1990, our nationally acclaimed law firm has fiercely advocated for crash victims and grieving families in Los Angeles whose lives have been turned upside down because of someone driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol. Skilled and respected California trial attorneys, we have earned our clients billions of dollars in life-changing financial awards.

How the Lanier Law Firm Can Help if You Have Been Hit by a Drunk Driver in Los Angeles

The driver may face criminal DUI charges for causing your accident. However, that won’t do much to help you on your road to recovery. You need—and deserve—money to offset your medical bills, account for your sudden loss of income, and make up for the trauma and suffering you have endured.

That is why our Los Angeles car accident lawyers should be among your first calls. At The Lanier Law Firm, we have spent decades standing up to corporations, hospitals, insurance companies, defense attorneys, and other powerful adversaries on behalf of crash victims like you. Our results and client satisfaction speak for themselves; we have won billions of dollars for our clients in the process.

This is your opportunity to recover compensation, and our team is ready to help you get the money you deserve as we:

You should have the time to focus on recovering while our team invests all necessary resources, experience, and skill into your drunk driving accident case. We offer a free initial case evaluation, so contact our law office in Los Angeles, California, today.

Damages Available to Drunk Driving Accident Victims in Los Angeles

Through a civil drunk driving accident lawsuit, you should be eligible for compensatory damages. In some cases, punitive damages may be available as well. Compensatory damages fall into two categories.

First, economic damages are paid to make you financially whole. These should return you to the same financial state as before the accident. Examples of economic damages include compensation for:

  • Hospitalization
  • Current medical expenses
  • Future medical bills
  • Medical devices and equipment
  • Physical therapy
  • Vocational rehabilitation
  • Lost wages and income
  • Lost job benefits
  • Property damage
  • Personal care assistance
  • Funeral expenses

Next, you may also qualify for noneconomic damages. These make up for the consequences of a drunk driving wreck that don’t have a set financial cost. In fact, they can vary significantly from one case (and one victim) to another. Examples of noneconomic damages include:

  • Disfigurement
  • Scarring
  • Embarrassment
  • Reduced quality of life
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Loss of consortium
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish

At The Lanier Law Firm, our Los Angeles car accident attorneys carefully evaluate and analyze the details of your case and consult with leading experts and specialists.

The more we know about how the crash has affected your life, the better prepared we will be to win a result that accurately reflects what your drunk driving accident case is worth.

Los Angeles Drunk Driving Accident Statistics

In 2021, 4,606 drunk driving accidents were recorded in Los Angeles County, California. At least 147 DUI accidents were fatal, causing no fewer than 158 deaths. Thousands more suffered a wide range of injuries, including at least 731 of which were suspected to be serious.

Many of these DUI car accidents happened within Los Angeles city limits. Los Angeles crash data reveals a reported 1,807 drunk driving accidents in 2021. That is an average of nearly five drunk driving crashes every day. A total of 63 people were killed and 2,733 were injured in these life-changing wrecks.

Liability in Los Angeles Drunk Driving Accidents

Drunk driving is against the law in California. Specifically, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent or higher.

California law also provides that a person can be guilty of DUI if they operate a motor vehicle while “under the influence,” which essentially means that they have consumed a level of drugs or alcohol that has impaired their ability to drive safely.

But drunk driving isn’t just a crime in California. It is also an act of negligence. Negligence is how victims of drunk driving accidents can seek and recover compensation for their injuries.

How do I prove negligence in a drunk driving case?

Negligence means that another person owed you a duty of care, breached it in some way, and injured you. In a California drunk driving injury lawsuit, you must prove four things by a preponderance of evidence:

  • The driver owed you a duty of care
  • The driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, which breached that duty of care
  • The driver’s intoxication resulted in an accident in which you were injured or lost a family member
  • You have suffered identifiable damages

Proof that the driver broke California’s drunk driving laws can help you win your civil case. Negligence per se is a legal doctrine that can be invoked when a defendant breaks a California law intended to prevent specific types of harm.

California’s drunk driving laws are specifically designed to prevent the type of accident you were in. If the driver is convicted of a DUI, you can use this to prove that they breached a duty of care owed to you. To recover compensation, you would then have to establish a causal link between the drunk driving crash and your resulting injuries.

Does California have a dram shop law?

If the person who caused your drunk driving accident was a minor, you might be able to seek compensation from other parties as well. California’s dram shop law extends liability for drunk driving accidents to social hosts, bars, restaurants, and other establishments in certain situations.

A social host—including parents, guardians, and other adults—can be liable for a drunk driving accident if they knowingly serve alcohol to a minor before the wreck. Licensed alcohol retailers can also be liable if they sell or furnish alcohol to an “obviously intoxicated minor” whose proximate actions caused personal injury or death.

What is the deadline to file a drunk driving accident lawsuit in California?

California’s statute of limitations for drunk driving lawsuits is two years. You have until the second anniversary of your crash or a family member’s related wrongful death to take legal action.

While some exceptions exist—including accidents in which children are hurt—they are few and far between. If you miss the deadline, you lose the right to get the compensation you deserve.

Common Drunk Driving Accident Injuries

When a driver consumes alcohol, they can lose focus and concentration, have difficulty seeing, get easily distracted, and even fall asleep at the wheel. All of these things, especially when experienced collectively, can significantly increase the odds of causing an accident.

Many times, these accidents result in serious, if not life-threatening, injuries. At The Lanier Law Firm, we proudly represent victims of drunk driving accidents in Los Angeles who have suffered:

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Broken bones

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Whiplash

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Eye injury

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Amputation

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Burns

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Concussion

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Nerve damage

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Traumatic brain injury

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Spinal cord injury

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Soft tissue damage

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Back injury

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Wrongful death of a family member

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Neck injury

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Broken bones

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Eye injury

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Burns

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Nerve damage

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Spinal cord injury

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Back injury

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Neck injury

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Whiplash

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Amputation

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Concussion

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Traumatic brain injury

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Soft tissue damage

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Wrongful death of a family member

It is critical to get to the closest Los Angeles hospital after a drunk driving accident. Once you have been treated and are stable, reach out to our top-rated Los Angeles personal injury lawyers to discuss your legal rights and options.

Trust the Los Angeles Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys at The Lanier Law Firm

If you have suffered painful, debilitating injuries because another driver had a drink before they got behind the wheel, you should not have to pay for their bad choices. Contact The Lanier Law Firm, and discover how our Los Angeles drunk driving accident lawyers can help you fight to make things right.

We are top-rated, nationally acclaimed trial attorneys with a reputation for winning. We have secured billions in compensation for our deserving clients. We are ready to stand up and fight for you too. Call our law office in Los Angeles, California, to learn more. A member of our team is standing by to arrange your free consultation.

Our Los Angeles Office

21550 Oxnard Street
3rd floor Woodland Hills, CA 91367

What Our Clients Say
quote
VERDICT AGAINST
$ 56.3 Million
Caterpillar Inc for paralyzed construction worker
$ 5.5 Million
verdict for injured worker at West Star Transportation
$ 2.2 Million
in damages for woman injured by drunk driver
$ 1.95 Million
verdict for worker injured on construction site
Micheal Akselrud

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