What to Do If A Drunk Driver Hits You
Accidents involving drunk drivers can become incredibly complicated, particularly as victims work to recover compensation for their losses. Data from the Illinois Department of Transportation shows that there were 1,217 total fatal crashes across the state during the most recent reporting year, and approximately 22% of all of these incidents involved alcohol.
If you or somebody you love has been struck by a drunk driver on the roadways in Chicago or in Illinois, we encourage you to reach out to a skilled drunk driving accident attorney as soon as possible. There are several steps that you can take to help ensure your claim proceeds forward as smoothly as possible.
Seek Medical Care
Drunk driving accident victims must seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Often, the signs and symptoms of some injuries do not appear until hours or even a day after the incident occurs. Individuals need to go to the emergency room or an emergency clinic as soon as possible for a complete evaluation. This helps establish a strong link between the drunk driving accident and any injuries that arise, which will assist in the process of recovering compensation.
Make Sure the Police Come to the Scene
After a drunk driving accident, you need to call 911 so law enforcement officials come to the scene of the incident. There are a few reasons this needs to happen. First, if the other driver was indeed impaired by alcohol or drugs when the incident occurred, police need to handle the matter. Often, this will result in the arrest of a suspected impaired driver. An arrest of a suspected drunk driver will help bolster your injury or property damage claim. Additionally, law enforcement officials will conduct an initial investigation at the scene of the incident, often documenting what they think happened and what caused the incident.
Gather Evidence if Possible
It may not always be possible to gather evidence at the scene of a drunk driving accident. However, if individuals are able to use their phones or other types of recording devices, taking photographs of the entire scene can be valuable. This can include taking photographs of injuries, property damage, vehicle license plates, skid marks, debris, traffic and weather conditions, etc.
Additionally, it is not uncommon for eyewitnesses to stop at the scene of a crash. Getting their names and contact information is a great idea because they may be able to provide valuable statements to insurance carriers or even at a personal injury trial, if one becomes necessary.
Call an Attorney
Drunk driving accident cases often result in major injuries and property damage, and victims need to recover compensation for their losses. However, the process of recovering compensation from insurance carriers can be challenging after these incidents occur. We strongly encourage reaching out to a car accident lawyer in Illinois who has extensive experience handling complex injury claims. Your lawyer will be your advocate, taking over all communication with other parties so you can focus on recovering from your injuries, getting your property repaired, and working to get your life back in order.
Continue Medical Treatments
We always recommend that drunk driving accident victims continue all treatments recommended by their medical professionals. Individuals may want to discontinue care when they start to feel better, but abruptly ending care before a doctor recommends doing so could jeopardize the process of recovering full compensation. Please continue all medical treatments recommended by your doctor, and if you have any questions about why this is necessary, speak to your attorney.