Minnesota's Top-Rated Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys
The recklessness of drunk drivers devastates families, leaving them without support or grieving the loss of a loved one.
If a drunk driver in Minnesota injured you, having legal support can help ease your stress and worry in your time of loss. At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, our team can help you through this time. Contact our Minnesota drunk driving accident lawyer for a free case evaluation.
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers Can Help You Fight Back After a Minnesota Drunk Driving Accident
Our personal injury firm has extensive experience dealing with car accident claims, including drunk driving accidents. We believe that everyone deserves comprehensive legal representation in the aftermath of an accident. If you suffered injuries due to a drunk driver’s negligence, consider how we can help you fight for the compensation you may deserve.
We build a claim with clear, compelling evidence.
You may file an injury claim even if the driver who caused your accident does not receive a drunk driving conviction. While a drunk driving conviction can establish the driver's liability for your accident, our team can use other evidence to do this. Our team can collect vital evidence to include in your claim to establish the other driver's negligence.
We work with our clients to estimate how much compensation they deserve.
When you file a drunk driving accident claim, you may quickly receive a settlement offer from their insurance company. While the offer might sound great on the surface, a quick settlement may not cover all of your losses.
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we make sure our clients understand how much compensation they should expect from the party who injured them. We do in-depth calculations to determine how much each claim is likely worth and fight to help our clients recover as much as possible.
We make sure our clients have comprehensive support at each stage of the process.
As you work on your claim, talking to the insurance company creates more frustration than it resolves. In many cases, it may seem as though the insurance company is trying to trip you up by getting you to accept partial liability for the accident or downplaying the severity of your injuries.
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we represent our clients by talking to the insurance company on their behalf and going to court to handle the claim if necessary. With our legal team on your side managing your affairs, you can feel confident that the insurance company will not trick you into making a costly mistake.
Drunk Driving Accident Injuries
Drunk drivers wreak havoc on Minnesota roads, killing hundreds of people each year. Drunk drivers often engage in hazardous behaviors. Drinking alcohol causes decreased reasoning ability, decreased reflexes, and tunnel vision. Drunk drivers may behave unpredictably, making it impossible for other drivers to avoid them. Drunk drivers also make poor choices, like driving too fast on icy Minnesota roads, causing horrific accidents. Common drunk driving accident injuries include:
Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries, or TBI, interfere heavily with memory and processing. Many victims with brain injuries have trouble with short-term memory, creative thinking, and emotional regulation. Frequently, brain injuries take a longer time to heal than anticipated: some victims may spend more than a year in recovery for a mild TBI.
Back and Neck Injuries
Drunk driving accidents frequently result in severe back and neck injuries, including sprained or strained muscles, herniated discs, and spinal cord injuries. Back and neck injuries can cause significant pain with many otherwise normal types of movement and may make it very difficult for the injured party to go back to work or engage in favorite leisure activities. Sometimes, spinal cord injuries can also lead to paralysis.
Amputations
Severe car accidents can result in limb amputation. Amputees must learn to cope with the missing limb, posing challenges to their mobility and independence. While some amputees choose to use prosthetics, those devices are costly.
Broken Bones
Drunk driving accidents frequently cause broken bones. Patients with broken bones often suffer from decreased mobility and independence while recovering. In addition, pain from broken bones can last even after the bone heals. The victim may need physical therapy to strengthen the impacted limb and regain flexibility.
Lacerations
Shattered glass and twisted metal can cut drunk driving accident victims. Severe lacerations can leave permanent scars and have a high risk of infection.
Burns
Burns from a car accident may occur due to a car catching fire or road rash: abrasions from the road when the skin drags across it during an accident. Burns can take a long time to heal, and victims may have permanent scarring from their injuries. Burned individuals may also have to spend time in a burn unit to reduce the risk of infection.
Is the Drunk Driver Always Liable in an Accident?
Usually, the drunk driver is the liable party in an accident because they violate a duty of care to others when they negligently drive while intoxicated. Drunk drivers often speed, drive aggressively or erratically, or swerve into other lanes, causing accidents.
However, a drunk driver is not automatically liable for an accident. In some cases, another driver involved in the accident may share liability. Outside factors may also contribute to the accident, implicating another party. For example, if an employer dispatches a driver with knowledge of the driver’s history of driving while intoxicated, they may share liability.
The Minnesota dram shop law provides that vendors who illegally supply alcohol to someone who goes on to cause a drunk driving accident can also be liable for the accident. Illegally supplying alcohol may mean providing alcohol to a minor or selling alcohol to someone already visibly intoxicated.
Anticipated Compensation in Minnesota Drunk Driving Accident Claims
When you have substantial injuries from a drunk driving accident, compensation matters; you need to know how much compensation to expect to handle your medical bills and manage your other expenses while you recover.
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we walk our clients through the different forms of compensation usually considered in an accident claim, including:
Compensation for Medical Costs Related to the Drunk Driving Accident
Medical costs usually stand as the most significant portion of a drunk driving accident claim. Your medical costs often represent your highest expense, and they may also demonstrate the severity of your injuries.
Our team can analyze the medical care you have received so far and any future medical expenses you anticipate because of the long-term impact of your injuries. We may start with emergency care, including ambulance transport, ongoing expenses like follow-up visits, durable medical equipment rental or purchase, and therapy that aids in your recovery. We can also talk to doctors or experts to estimate your future medical needs.
Compensation for Lost Income
Your income may stop after a Minnesota drunk driving accident. You may not be able to work during your recovery, even though your medical bills increase daily. After you return to work, you may have to limit your hours or miss time for follow-up appointments.
Compensation for Pain and Suffering
Most injury claims include a category for “general damages,” or the damages that do not have a financial component. Drunk driving accident victims do not just suffer financial losses. They may also suffer significant personal or emotional losses: the loss of independence because of the injuries, for example, or overall loss of enjoyment of life.
Our team can discuss your pain and intangible losses to determine how your injuries have affected you and include that information in your injury claim.
Punitive Damages
If your case goes to court, you may receive punitive damages if the drunk driver acted with deliberate disregard for the safety of others. The drunk driver must pay punitive damages directly rather than passing them off to the insurance company. These damages are not available in every case, so speak to our team to find out whether you can seek them.
What to Do After a Minnesota Drunk Driving Accident
When you get into an accident with a drunk driver, you may be too injured to take immediate action.
If you can safely do so:
- Call 911 for medical assistance and to contact the police. Wait at the accident scene for medical help and the police to arrive.
- Offer the police accurate information about what you observed, including any erratic behavior from the other driver. Keep in mind that some other conditions, like a head injury, may mimic the symptoms of drunkenness.
- Get medical care for your injuries. After a drunk driving accident involving significant property damage, ask a medical professional for an exam even if you do not feel any pain or notice any obvious signs of injury. The shock from an accident can mask some symptoms for several hours or days, so you may not even realize you have an injury.
- Document all medical care you receive and all your medical needs.
- Talk to a lawyer about how to seek compensation after a drunk driving accident. If possible, speak with a lawyer before calling the drunk driver’s insurance company. That way, you will know your options and can avoid any tricky tactics the insurance company might use to devalue your claim.
A drunk driving accident can produce confusion and trauma, especially if you suffer serious injuries. By working with Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, you can feel more confident in handling the details of your claim. Our team can guide you through interactions with the insurance company and walk you through your options, so you always know where your case stands.
Contact a Minnesota Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer
Working with a Minnesota drunk driving accident lawyer can help you regain peace of mind and the money you need to rebuild your life after a devastating accident. Contact Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers at (612) 688-4459 for a free case evaluation and to learn more about filing a drunk driving accident claim.
Minneapolis Office
43 SE Main St
Suite 500
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Phone: (612) 688-4459