Getting involved in a car accident with a drunk driver is a very common occurrence, and according to the National Highway Traffic Association (NHTSA), a person is injured in a drunk driving crash every two minutes.
If you or someone you care about has been involved in an accident with a drunk driver, there are a lot of things you need to know and do to protect yourself from getting stuck with the medical bills if you are injured, and the repair costs. Therefore you should contact an experienced and qualified Melbourne Florida personal injury attorney.
Steps To Take When Hit By A Drunk Driver
The first thing to do if you are involved in an accident is to dial 911, by dialing 911, they can send paramedics to the scene if you or anyone at the scene of the crash is injured, and they will also send the cops to access the scene of the crash. If there is a serious injury at the scene, do not attempt to move the person, because it could make matters worse. Wait for the paramedics, who are trained to handle such situations. You also shouldn’t move either car, because it makes it easier for the police to gather information on the accident.
The next step you should take is to write down the other driver’s license plate number, this is an insurance in case they decide to leave the scene of the accident, which happens quite often. With the license plate number, the cops can track the person down, and charge them with leaving the scene of an accident, along with the other charges they will be facing.
After you get the license plate information, you should get the other driver’s information. The information that you will need to get include their driver’s license number, their insurance information, their telephone number, and information about their vehicle, like the make and model. If they are unwilling to provide this information, you can wait until the police arrive, and they will get it for you.
If you notice any signs that the other driver has been drinking, like alcohol on their breath, erratic behavior, or see the driver try to throw away an open container of alcohol before the police arrive, you should alert the police officers when they get to the scene, which will give them probable cause to give them a field sobriety test.
Some guilty drivers try to avoid getting in trouble with the police, especially when the damage to your car is minimal, and may offer to settle the dispute on the spot by giving you some cash. It might seem like a good idea at the time, because your car isn’t really damaged, and you aren’t in any pain, but you should never accept the offer.
If you accept the offer, you lose any chance you might have to receive any financial compensation, which means if you start to experience some pain a few days later, and have to go to the hospital, you are going to have to pay the bill out of your pocket, which can be quite expensive.
Once you have the necessary information from the other driver, and the police have determined that they are at fault, the next step is to follow up with the insurance companies to settle your claim.
This is where the expertise of an attorney comes in handy, insurance companies will try to offer you the minimum payment that they can, and in most cases, people accept the offers because they don’t know any better. Nance Cacciatore will help you get the amount you deserve, and make sure that it covers any expenses that you incur as a result of the accident.
