Driving under the influence of alcohol is a crime in Boston and across the United States. If you were hurt in a drunk driving accident in Boston, MA, you deserve justice. An experienced Boston DUI accident victim lawyer at Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP can help you fight to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
Our legal team has been fighting DUI accident lawsuits for more than a decade–and we’ve won millions in compensation for injured clients over the years.
Our lawyers know what it takes to win a case like yours. To learn more, call our law offices in Boston at (774)-214-2515 to arrange a free consultation today.
How Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP Can Help After a DUI Accident in Boston, MA
DUI accident victims often assume that it’ll be easy to recover compensation–especially if the drunk driver is also facing criminal charges. While a DUI conviction is helpful evidence, it doesn’t always mean that the insurance company will hand over a check for what’s fair.
In reality, you’ll probably have to fight to get the full compensation you deserve. Our Boston personal injury lawyers at Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP can guide you through the entire legal process. Thanks to our success, our lawyers have been recognized as Super Lawyers and Top 40 under 40 trial lawyers.
Hire our team at Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP, and our attorneys will:
- Help you evaluate whether a settlement offer is fair
- Gather the evidence you need to strengthen your injury claim
- Consult experts and specialists who can help establish your future costs
- Negotiate with the at-fault driver’s insurance company to recover the maximum compensation possible
- Protect your rights in civil court if necessary
If you were hurt in Boston, MA, you deserve a personal injury lawyer who knows the law inside and out. Our Boston personal injury attorneys have more than 100 years of combined experience fighting for accident victims.
We’ll use the full weight of our experience to your advantage. Call today to learn more about how creating an attorney client relationship can help your case.
How Common Are DUI Accidents in Boston?
Under Massachusetts state law, it’s a crime for anyone to get behind the wheel with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. Unfortunately, stiff penalties and increased enforcement haven’t eliminated the danger.
About one in every three traffic deaths in the U.S. involves a drunk driver. Research shows that around 30 Americans lose their lives in DUI accidents every single day. In 2018, there were about 140.7 DUI arrests for every 100,000 Massachusetts residents.
Driving while intoxicated continues to pose a serious risk despite efforts to curb the dangers of drunk driving. The CDC reported that 1,370 people were killed by drunk drivers in Massachusetts alone over a ten-year period.
What is My Boston DUI Accident Case Worth?
If you were hurt in a DUI crash, don’t assume that you’ll receive fair compensation just because the other driver was drunk. Once you establish negligence, you’ll still have to prove the value of your losses.
Factors that influence the value of your case include:
- The nature and severity of the injury
- The cost of your past and anticipated future medical care
- The impact the injury will have on your career, earning potential, and quality of life
- The mental and physical pain you were forced to endure because of the injury
There are plenty of ways a drunk driver’s insurance company can try to minimize your financial payout. Having an experienced law firm on your side from day one can prevent them from succeeding.
At Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP, we’ll use our years of experience to fight to maximize your financial recovery. We have relationships with reputable experts and specialists in the Boston area–and we’ll consult with them to make sure your damages are assessed fairly. All you have to do is call to get started.
What Types of Damages Are Available to DUI Accident Victims?
DUI accidents can cause several types of damage. DUI accident victims are entitled to recover compensation to make them “whole” again.
In the legal world, that means you can recover economic damages for your financial losses and non-economic damages for your pain and suffering.
Economic damages include compensation for:
- Past and future medical bills
- Past and future lost wages and income
- Diminished earning capacity
- Physical therapy and rehab
- Property damage
Non-economic damages compensate the victim for:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Anxiety and PTSD
- Loss of consortium
In some cases, the Massachusetts courts may even be inclined to award punitive damages to punish the drunk driver.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a DUI Accident in Massachusetts?
It might sound surprising, but you could be blamed for contributing to your DUI accident. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll lose your right to compensation automatically.
Under Massachusetts modified comparative negligence laws, you can recover compensation as long as you were less than 51% responsible for the accident. If you share less than 51% of fault, your damages will be reduced to account for your share of blame.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your DUI Accident Injuries
Some DUI accident injuries can impact the victim for a lifetime.
Common DUI accident injuries include:
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Organ damage
- Broken bones
- Burn injuries
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
Regardless of the type of injury you sustained, our Boston car accident lawyers are here to fight for justice. If you lost a loved one in a deadly DUI accident, we’ll help you pursue compensation for your loved one’s wrongful death.
What Causes Most DUI Accidents in Boston, Massachusetts?
Boston has one of the highest rates of drunk driving convictions in the country. Alcohol impairs a driver’s judgment in a number of ways. Drunk drivers often lose focus. Some might even fall asleep behind the wheel.
Other drivers become much more reckless and engage in driving behaviors that put everyone at risk.
Some common causes of drunk driving accidents are:
- Speeding
- Weaving between lanes
- Veering into oncoming traffic
- Running red lights and stop signs
- Failing to notice pedestrians, bicyclists, and others on the road
- Losing control of the vehicle
- Reckless driving, including racing
- Tailgating
- Turning the wrong way down a one-way street
Sometimes drunk driving crashes even start out as single-vehicle collisions–such as when a drunk driver loses control of the vehicle and rolls over. Rollover accidents can create a chain reaction on the roads, causing others to get caught up in the crash.
How Do I Prove Negligence if I Was a Victim of a DUI Accident in Massachusetts?
DUI accident victims have the burden of proof in a personal injury case. That means proving that the drunk driver was negligent.
Drivers are considered negligent when they fail to act as a reasonable person would under the circumstances.
That means establishing the four basic elements of a negligence charge, which include:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care
- The defendant breached that duty
- The breach caused you harm
- You suffered damages
All drivers owe a duty of care to others on the roads. That duty includes a duty to refrain from driving while intoxicated. In many DUI accident cases, the victim can establish negligence by presenting evidence of the other driver’s intoxication.
Still, you’ll be required to show that the breach directly caused your accident and injuries. In other words, even if the driver is charged with a DUI, you may have to counter allegations that some other event intervened to cause the crash. It’s even possible that the drunk driver will try to blame you.
Proving causation in a personal injury case can be tricky.
Our lawyers in Boston have the resources you need to locate all relevant evidence to support your claim, including:
- Video surveillance footage, red light camera data, and other photographic evidence
- Police accident reports and toxicology results
- Eyewitness testimony
- Testimony from accident reconstruction specialists
Were you injured in a drunk driving accident? Don’t hesitate to reach out for quality legal advice today.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a DUI Accident in Massachusetts?
The Massachusetts statute of limitations gives DUI accident victims three years to file a personal injury lawsuit for damages. Failing to file before this deadline means you forfeit your right to compensation.
If you were a victim of a drunk driver in Essex County or Suffolk County, don’t let them off the hook. Call Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP to preserve your right to damages today.
Contact a Boston DUI Accident Victim Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Drunk drivers destroy lives every single day in America. If you or a loved one one were injured, call our Boston DUI accident victim lawyers for help today. We offer a free initial consultation to discuss your legal options. You can also use our contact form to schedule an appointment. We look forward to helping you get your life back on track.
Our Boston personal injury law firm also provides:
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