Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys In Richmond & Tappahannock, VA

Drunk Driver

We all know that you should never drink and drive. Not only is it reckless and irresponsible, it can land you in jail. Indeed, Virginia has some of the strictest drunk driving laws in the United States.

Yet despite all this, there are still thousands of alcohol-related car accidents every year in Virginia. Fortunately, many of these accidents do not result in serious injury or death. But when they do, the victims and their families have the right to seek justice through the legal system. An experienced Richmond hit by drunk driver lawyer can represent you in seeking compensation from a drunk driver and their insurance company.

Attorney Ryan Wind has more than a decade of experience negotiating personal injury settlements on behalf of clients whose lives have been turned upside down by a thoughtless drunk driver. He can sit down with you, review your case, and advise you of your best options for demanding compensation.

Virginia Allows Juries to Award Punitive Damages in Some Drunk Driving Accident Cases

Under Virginia law, a person is too drunk to drive if their blood-alcohol content is 0.08 percent or higher. Of course, a person can still be impaired even at lower BAC levels. Any amount of alcohol in a driver’s system can adversely affect their ability to focus and react to changes in driving conditions. And it only takes a split-second for an accident to occur.

Drunk Driver

The police can arrest someone for DWI. And if successfully prosecuted, the drunk driver faces criminal penalties of up to 1 year in jail and a $2,500 fine for a first offense. But this does nothing to help the actual victims of a drunk driving accident. It is up to them to take separate legal action by filing a civil personal injury lawsuit.

Like any accident lawsuit, the victims of a negligent driver can seek a variety of economic and non-economic damages. This includes compensation for the victim’s medical bills, loss of income, and pain and suffering. But if you have been hit by a drunk driver, you may also be entitled to seek punitive damages as part of a personal injury lawsuit.

Punitive damages are not intended to compensate a victim for their losses. Rather, they are meant to punish a defendant who “acted with malice toward the plaintiff” or engaged in conduct that “was so willful or wanton as to show a conscious disregard for the rights of others.” Virginia law authorizes a jury to award up to $350,000 in punitive damages if the defendant’s BAC at the time of the accident was 0.15 percent or higher. This can include cases where the defendant refused to take a Breathalyzer or similar sobriety test immediately following the accident.

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Contact Our Drunk Driver Accident Lawyers in Richmond & Tappahannock Today

Drunk driving often leaves devastation in its wake. While money cannot undo the damage, it can help the victims and the families as they start to rebuild their lives. So if you would like to speak with a Richmond hit-by-drunk driver lawyer who can offer skilled, compassionate legal advice, contact our personal injury lawyers in Richmond & Tappahannock at Wind Law, LLC, today to schedule a consultation.

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