Hudson Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys
Hudson, Wisconsin, offers a variety of bars and restaurants where residents and visitors alike can enjoy a drink with friends and family members. Smilin Moose Lodge Bar & Grill, Starr’s Barr, and Hudson Tap all offer plenty of opportunities for residents to kick back, have a few drinks, and relax.
When drinkers at popular local bars, or those who drink privately in their own homes, take to the roads, however, it can cause substantial danger to everyone around them. While Hudson sees a relatively low number of drunk driving fatalities each year, with many years seeing no drunk driving fatalities, drunk drivers can still pose a substantial danger for everyone around them.
For example, the intersection at 49th Street and Avenue C does not have the traffic signals needed to protect pedestrians—and even sober drivers, much less drunk ones, often speed straight through it.
If you suffered injuries in a drunk driving accident, the Hudson drunk driving accident lawyers at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers can help. Contact us at (651) 427-3331 to schedule a free consultation.
Injured? Get Nicolet.
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers: Fighting for the People of Hudson
Did you suffer injuries in a drunk driving accident? The experienced Hudson personal injury lawyers at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers can help fight for the compensation that our clients deserve. We offer a law firm built on family, focused on helping, and dedicated to winning. Our team of attorneys will fight aggressively to help our clients understand the compensation they deserve and pursue that compensation from the drunk driver that caused your injuries.
Our past results show our dedication to our clients and determination to help them achieve the best possible results in their claims.
- $815,000 for the victim of a drunk driving accident in Wisconsin
- $500,000 for a Wisconsin client who was injured by a drunk driver in Alden
- Numerous auto accident claims in which our clients recovered considerable compensation for their injuries
Our past results will not guarantee the results of your future claim. They do, however, give you an idea of what we can do for our clients—and we bring that dedication to every claim we help settle.
Drunk Driving Accidents in Hudson: The Aftermath
Drunk driving accidents may result in much more severe injuries than other auto accidents, even those involving similarly sized vehicles and similar conditions, because drunk drivers have so little control over their vehicles.
Often, drunk driving accidents cause injuries like:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Amputations
- Severe lacerations
- Road rash
In the aftermath of a drunk driving accident, you may find your medical bills mounting quickly. Not only do you have to pay for emergency medical care, you will need to cover the ongoing cost of care related to many injuries. Back and neck injuries, for example, can lead to months of rehabilitation costs, while spinal cord injuries may mean a lifetime of medical expenses.
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers can help you manage the aftermath of your drunk driving accident. Our experienced team of attorneys will help ensure that you understand the compensation you deserve, break down your expenses and the compensation you should expect as a result, and work to help you maximize the compensation you should receive related to the accident.
Liability in Hudson, Wisconsin Drunk Driving Accidents
To file a personal injury claim, you start by clearly determining all parties that bear liability for the accident. Most often, the driver that caused the accident, in this case, the drunk driver, will bear liability for the accident and your injuries.
Wisconsin does not have dram shop laws that leave a bar, restaurant, or store that sells alcohol to an already intoxicated individual or one who plans to drive liable for the damages caused by that driver. While those institutions may choose not to serve someone who obviously suffers from a high level of intoxication, they will not bear liability for drunk driving incidents, including accidents that may result from the driver’s inebriation.
However, in some cases, another entity may share liability for a drunk driving accident. For example, you might discover that the employer of a driver on the clock pushed him to get behind the wheel while inebriated, despite knowing about that inebriation. Consult Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers to get a better idea of who may share liability for your drunk driving accident.
Claiming Compensation After a Hudson Drunk Driving Accident: What to Expect
After a Hudson drunk driving accident, get in touch with the experienced personal injury attorneys at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers as quickly as possible. An experienced attorney can help review your specific claim and give you a better idea of how much compensation you should expect.
Ideally, you should take care of that consultation with a lawyer quickly after the accident. If you wait, you may find it much more difficult to respond if the insurance company that covers the liable driver contacts you to offer a settlement. Often, the insurance company will get in touch soon after the accident to issue a settlement offer and even pressure you to take it quickly, with the idea that it might “go away” if you do not accept the offer. In reality, however, you may deserve considerably more compensation than the insurance company claims.
After a drunk driving accident, you can claim compensation for:
- Medical expenses related to drunk driving accident injuries
- Lost wages because of your injuries and inability to work
- Pain and suffering related to the accident
- Potentially even “punitive” damages to punish the other driver who made the choice to drive drunk
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we help break down the compensation you really deserve for your injuries so that you can negotiate from a position of knowledge. We can also take over those negotiations for you, which may lead to much less stress as you manage the aftermath of your injuries.
Hudson Drunk Driving Accident FAQs
If you have general questions about Hudson drunk driving accidents, check out the FAQ below. Have more specific questions? Contact Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers for an evaluation of your specific circumstances and your claim.
1. Who has to pay my medical bills after a drunk driving accident in Hudson?
After a drunk driving accident, you may need to head straight to Hudson Hospital and Clinic. You may even require transportation to a larger hospital, where you can seek additional care from specialists who focus on the area where you need care most.
That medical treatment can quickly grow expensive, especially if you suffered permanent disability with an injury like a spinal cord injury, which can leave you with long-term medical costs. Unfortunately, as the injured party, you must ultimately take responsibility for paying your medical bills.
You can:
- Use MedPay coverage to help cover the cost of your immediate medical bills following a drunk driving accident
- Use your health insurance to help cover the cost of medical treatment
- Use the funds from a personal injury claim to cover the cost of treatment.
If you do not have the funds needed to pay your medical bills, and need to wait for the funds from your drunk driving accident claim to arrive before you can make those payments, your lawyer can write a letter of protection, which will establish your intent to pay after you resolve your claim.
2. What should I do after a drunk driving accident in Hudson?
You may have seen clear signs of the driver’s inebriation at the time of the accident, which could lead you to assume that you had an accident with a drunk driver. However, start by mentioning your suspicions and what led to them to the police.
Distraction, including looking down at a cell phone, could cause a driver to swerve on the road, while very high blood sugar can cause behavior relatively similar to inebriation. Traumatic brain injury can also mimic symptoms of inebriation at the scene of the accident.
Next, make sure that you seek medical attention, even if you do not believe you sustained serious injuries in the accident. A doctor can fully evaluate all the symptoms you display and ensure that you receive prompt treatment. Finally, make sure you contact a Hudson drunk driving accident lawyer as soon after the accident as possible.
3. Does the driver’s inebriation impact the compensation I can receive when I file a Hudson drunk driving accident claim?
The driver’s inebriation does not directly affect your drunk driving accident claim. While your lawyer may use the other driver’s inebriation as evidence that the other driver caused the accident or bears primary liability for it, you can claim compensation for the same elements, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering, whether the driver faces a drunk driving conviction or not.
However, in some cases, if the driver faces a drunk driving conviction, you may receive punitive damages for the driver’s dangerous actions. These damages get assigned by the court that hears the criminal case and serve as part of the punishment the drunk driver has to pay for his actions. While the driver’s insurance company pays out personal injury claims, the driver will have to pay punitive damages directly.
4. Do I really need an attorney to help me handle a Hudson drunk driving accident?
Do not try to handle a Hudson drunk driving accident alone. Any time you suffer serious injury in an accident, an attorney can prove vital to helping you get the compensation you really need for those injuries.
An attorney can:
- Investigate the accident, including uncovering whether any other entities might share liability for the accident and your injuries
- Provide you with an assessment of the compensation you really deserve for your injuries
- Negotiate on your behalf
- Represent you in court, if needed
Without an attorney, you may find yourself struggling to get the full amount you deserve for your injuries. Some insurance companies may not even take your demands seriously if you do not have an attorney on your side. With an attorney like the experienced drunk driving accident lawyers at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, however, you can maximize your odds of recovering the compensation you really deserve while reducing the stress you may face in the meantime.
5. Will I have to go to court to settle my Hudson drunk driving accident claim?
Most of the time, the drunk driver’s insurance company will try to settle out of court, if at all possible. Going to court can substantially increase the legal expenses associated with the accident, which the insurance company may try to avoid if at all possible. Most cases resolve through negotiation. However, in some cases, especially if the insurance company tries to dispute liability, you may have to go to court to resolve your claim. Having an attorney who already understands your claim can make it much easier to present your claim in court.
6. How long does it take to settle drunk driving accident claims in Hudson?
Depending on the extent of your injuries, the damage to your vehicle, and the details of the accident, it can take time to fully investigate and resolve a drunk driving accident claim. First, you may need time to recover from your injuries. In some cases, your doctors may not know how much mobility and/or strength you will recover. Waiting for up to six months to gauge your progress and recovery could give you a better idea of your future prognosis, which could help better inform your drunk driving accident claim. Next, your attorney and the liable driver’s insurance company may need time to investigate the claim. Finally, you may need to go through several rounds of negotiation as you work to resolve your claim. Talk to your attorney about the anticipated timeline for your claim.
Do You Need a Hudson Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer?
If you suffered serious injuries in a drunk driving accident in Hudson, an attorney can help you learn more about your right to compensation. Contact Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers at (651) 427-3331 for a free consultation.
Injured? Get Nicolet.
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers
Address: 517 2nd St Unit #205,Hudson, WI 54016
Phone: 1-855-642-6538