Driving under the influence of alcohol is a crime in South Carolina. Not only that, it’s deadly. Every year, thousands of motorists on the state’s roads are injured or killed by drunk drivers.
Intoxicated drivers will face DUI charges in a criminal court. But criminal penalties do nothing to repay the victims injured in drunk driving accidents. The only way to obtain financial compensation is by filing a legal claim against the impaired driver. Talking to a drunk driving accident lawyer is the first step towards that goal.
The experienced workers’ comp and SSD attorneys at Land Parker Welch LLC understand how a drunk driving accident can place a victim’s entire life and livelihood in jeopardy. You and your family should never have had to suffer the consequences of such a tragic event. We fight aggressively to hold drunk drivers responsible for such terrible acts of negligence, both in Manning and the surrounding South Carolina communities.
With over 120 years of combined legal experience, our trial lawyers will demand maximum compensation for your losses — including medical expenses, lost income, lost earning potential, pain and suffering and more.
Call or contact us today to schedule a free and confidential consultation.
Drunk Driving Accident Statistics
Statistics show that accidents involving alcohol and drugs frequently result in the worst injuries — and often, it’s the victims who suffer the most severe trauma, not the drunk driver.
The scope of the problem is enormous. Consider these figures:
- There is one alcohol-impaired fatality in the U.S. every 48 minutes.
- Someone is killed in a drunk driving accident every 28 hours in South Carolina.
- South Carolina has consistently ranked as one of the top states in the nation for drunk driving fatalities.
- 22,000 DUI arrests were made in South Carolina in 2018.
- 214 people died and 3,553 were injured in South Carolina accidents where alcohol was listed as the primary contributing factor in a recent year.
- Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that South Carolina’s alcohol-impaired-driving fatality rate was .61 deaths per million miles traveled, nearly double than the national average of .33.
Common DUI Accident Injuries
Any type of injury is possible in a drunk driving accident. Some of the most common include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Whiplash
- Back and spinal cord injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Cuts and scrapes
- Bruises
- Burns
- Broken bones
- Internal bleeding
- Psychological injuries
- Death
Because injuries from drunk driving crashes are often severe, you should speak to an attorney as soon as possible following a wreck. The lawyers at Land Parker Welch LLC will handle all communications with the drunk driver’s insurance company, who will surely be looking for any and all ways to reduce the driver’s liability.
What To Do If You’ve Been Injured By A Drunk Driver
Your health and safety should always be the first priority after an accident with an intoxicated driver. You should:
- Check yourself and your passengers for injuries. Then check on the status of the occupants of the other vehicle(s).
- If possible, move your vehicle to a safe location and call 911.
- A drunk driver may be too impaired to provide you with vital information about the wreck. Try to collect as much as you can, including:
- Names and contact information of everyone involved, including witnesses
- Where the accident took place
- The vehicles involved, including license plate information and registration
- Insurance information from all drivers involved
- The badge number of any responding police officers
- The police report, including any arrests made at the scene or citations given to the other driver
- Do not admit fault at the accident scene, either to the others involved or the police officer.
- Do not provide a recorded statement to an insurance company without consulting with a drunk driving accident lawyer first.
- If you were not treated at the scene, seek medical attention as soon as possible to look for any undetected injuries.
- Contact Land Parker Welch LLC Working with our lawyers puts you in the best position to recover the compensation you deserve. We will conduct an in-depth investigation into your accident, including gathering evidence of the at-fault driver’s intoxication and negligence.
Catastrophic Injury Compensation in South Carolina
Catastrophic injuries are life-altering. Victims who are catastrophically injured in drunk driving crashes may suffer from permanent disabilities that render them unable to care for themselves or the ones that they love.
South Carolina law allows all accident victims to pursue compensation for injuries and losses resulting from DUI collisions. They may qualify for compensation for:
- Past, current and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent injury or disability
- Loss of companionship
- Wrongful death compensation (for family members of a deceased victim)
- Punitive damages
In South Carolina, you have three years from the date of the drunk driving accident to take legal action. Failure to file a claim within that timeframe could bar your rights to compensation forever.
How Can Land Parker Welch LLC Help Me?
The skilled South Carolina car accident lawyers at Land Parker Welch LLC know what it takes to build a successful drunk driving accident claim. When you work with us, you can rest assured that we will conduct a thorough investigation to determine what happened and who should be held accountable. Our drunk driving lawyers will fight for you to get the full and fair compensation that you deserve.
From start to finish, our dedicated attorneys will manage your case with as few disruptions to your life as possible. That way, you can focus on your recovery.
Our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. That means that we don’t get paid unless we help you recover financial compensation on your behalf. That’s good news for you because we only invest in cases that we believe in.
You deserve justice for the injuries or losses you suffered in a drunk driving accident. Put us to work for you.
Call (803) 339-1503 or contact our personal injury lawyers online today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
