Drunk drivers plague the roads of Riverside, endangering the lives of everyone else on the roadways and sidewalks. A driver doesn’t have be over the legal limit of 0.08% blood alcohol content to get into legal trouble for driving under the influence (DUI) in California. Any amount of alcohol in the driver’s system could be enough to impair one’s ability and cause a devastating accident. After a drunk or DUI accident in Riverside, come to the Riverside accident attorney team at Estey & Bomberger, LLP for trustworthy legal help. You deserve to pursue compensation from the driver and other liable parties.
Assigning Liability for DUI Accidents in Riverside County
In any vehicle collision involving a suspected drunk driver, police will order blood alcohol concentration breath, blood, or urine tests. An injured party can use the results of these tests as evidence of the driver’s intoxication. If the driver refuses to comply with the test, this itself may serve as proof that he or she knew the test would lead to incriminating evidence. The police report can help prove liability with this information and other imperative facts about the crash.
If the results of the alcohol tests show that the driver was technically within the legal limit, this does not bar you from seeking recovery. The police may still state that the driver was “under the influence” of drugs and/or alcohol enough to impair driving. An injured party could also pursue recovery on the grounds of negligence if the other driver caused the accident with or without alcohol interference. Eyewitness interviews and any available surveillance footage of the collision can help prove the driver’s fault for the accident.
Dram Shop Liability in California
It can be easy to assume that the intoxicated driver is the only one liable for your accident and injuries. In California, however, there are dram shop laws that may place liability with the alcohol vendor as well. If the driver who caused the accident was under the legal drinking age and obviously intoxicated and the bar or establishment continued serving him or her alcohol, you may have a case against the vendor and the driver. In Riverside, the only time dram shop laws will come into play is in the event of an obviously drunk underage drinker causing someone else harm.
Hit-and-Run Drunk Driving Accidents
A hit-and-run DUI crash doesn’t have to mean you pay for your own damages. Should a DUI driver injure you in a hit-and-run accident in Riverside, you may be able to recover damages through your car insurance policy. If your policy has uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, it should cover your damages from a hit-and-run drunk driver. The lawyers at Estey & Bomberger, LLP have experience handling hit-and-run cases in California and know how to talk to big insurance companies and pursue compensation through every available outlet.
Speak to Experienced Riverside DUI Accident Attorneys
At Estey & Bomberger, LLP we have years of experience handling complex personal injury lawsuits and DUI accident cases in Riverside. We can bring a claim on your behalf against the other party, the alcohol vendor, and/or a third party. Our competent legal team will handle all the legwork of your case so you can focus on healing after a bad accident. Call (951) 543-9020 or reach out online for a free consultation in Riverside today!
