Drunk driving is strictly illegal in North Carolina, as it is in every state. Unfortunately, hundreds of innocent North Carolinians are injured by reckless drunk drivers every year. That’s when you should retain Horton & Mendez, Injury & Car Accident Attorneys, to fight for your rights and maximum compensation.
Our Cornelius car accident lawyers understand the pain and frustration of being injured by another person’s negligence and recklessness. We know this is a difficult time, and our drunk driving attorneys stand ready to fight for justice for you and your family.
Why Choose Us?
Horton & Mendez, Injury & Car Accident Attorneys, a trusted law firm in Cornelius, oversees many car and drunk driving accident claims with a proven track record. Our experienced drunk driving accident attorneys, including former insurance defense lawyers, understand the tactics insurance companies use to minimize payouts to injury victims. We leverage this experience and skill to advocate for you aggressively, securing maximum compensation for your drunk driving accident injuries.
Recent notable settlements in traffic collisions include:
- $8 million truck accident case
- $350,000 truck accident case
- $300,000 car accident case
- $100,000 motorcycle accident case
- $95,000 rear-end collision case
Our Cornelius drunk driving accident lawyers offer complimentary consultations to evaluate your case and determine if negligence is present. If your claim is strong, we will relentlessly negotiate with insurers to cover medical costs, lost wages, and other damages.
Contact us at (980) 414-5755 to speak with a Cornelius drunk driving accident attorney and start pursuing the compensation you deserve.
Who Is Liable For A Cornelius Drunk Driving Accident?
In North Carolina, determining liability for your drunk driving accident involves identifying all parties whose actions contributed to the incident and injuries, including:
Drunk Driver
The intoxicated driver is almost always the leading liable party in a Cornelius drunk driving accident. Driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or higher violates state law and makes the driver negligent.
If the driver’s intoxication directly caused the crash, they are responsible for damages, including economic losses and non-economic losses. Evidence like police reports, BAC test results, or witness statements strengthens the case. In a lawsuit, you can also seek punitive damages. North Carolina allows punitive damages in drunk driving cases without the usual cap of three times compensatory damages or $250,000.
Dram Shop and Social Host Liability
North Carolina’s dram shop law allows you to sue establishments like bars or restaurants that illegally serve alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person or minor who later caused the drunk driving accident. For instance, if a bar continues to serve a patron who is slurring their speech and stumbling, and that patron subsequently injures you, the bar can be liable for damages.
Social host liability in North Carolina is similar. If a homeowner hosts a private event and serves alcohol to minors, the homeowner may be liable if the minor causes a drunk driving accident.
Proving liability requires evidence, such as receipts, witness testimony, or video showing the driver’s intoxication at the time of service.
These lawsuits can significantly increase compensation; businesses often carry higher insurance policies than individual drivers.
However, establishing that the establishment or host knowingly overserved alcohol is challenging, usually requiring subpoenas or depositions, which underscores the need to hire our skilled Cornelius drunk driving lawyer.
What Are Your Drunk Driving Accident Injuries Worth?
Determining the value of your drunk driving injuries depends on several factors, as each case is different and influenced by different factors. The compensation you may be entitled to typically includes:
Economic Damages
Economic damages cover quantifiable losses resulting from a Cornelius drunk driving accident.
These include medical expenses, such as hospital bills, surgeries, rehabilitation, and ongoing care, which can range from thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the severity of your drunk driving injury. Lost wages are another key component, compensating you for income lost due to the inability to work during the recovery period.
If drunk driving injuries lead to long-term or permanent disability, you may also claim reduced earning capacity, reflecting your diminished future income potential. For example, a severe injury like paralysis can result in settlements reflecting your lifelong medical needs and lost career opportunities. In contrast, minor injuries might settle for lower amounts for a few doctor’s visits and brief recovery.
Either way, accurate documentation, including medical records and pay stubs, is critical to back these claims.
Non-Economic Damages: Pain and Suffering
Non-economic damages compensate you for your intangible losses, such as pain, emotional distress, and a reduced quality of life. These are harder to quantify; North Carolina law doesn’t provide a formula for calculating pain and suffering. A common approach is the “multiplier method,” where economic damages are multiplied by a factor of one to five to estimate non-economic damages.
For instance, suppose you have $10,000 in medical bills and moderate pain and suffering. The $10,000 medical bill might be multiplied by two to provide $20,000 for pain and suffering. Severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord damage, often justify higher multipliers due to their profound impact on one’s life.
Emotional trauma, including anxiety or PTSD, can also be included if supported by mental therapy records or your personal statements. Juries and insurance adjusters heavily weigh the injury’s impact on your life when determining non-economic damages.
At Horton & Mendez, Injury & Car Accident Attorneys, our Cornelius drunk driving lawyers will rely on your medical team and other experts to estimate your case value. Then, we’ll negotiate aggressively with the liable driver’s insurance company for maximum compensation.
Most insurance companies will offer a higher settlement when their client was intoxicated and clearly at fault. However, our skilled insurance negotiators will press the liable insurance company for every dollar.
Contact Our Cornelius Drunk Driving Lawyer Now
Don’t allow a reckless drunk driver to injure you without paying for the damages they caused.
Horton & Mendez, Injury & Car Accident Attorneys are skilled Cornelius drunk driving lawyers who will hold the person accountable for their negligence. Call us today for a free legal consultation at (980) 414-5755 or visit us online.
