Columbia Drunk Driving Accident Attorney

Injured in a Drunk Driving Accident in South Carolina?

When drivers choose to drink and drive, they are gambling with other people's lives. Alcohol can greatly impair drivers' physical and cognitive abilities, making drunk drivers much more likely to get in accidents while they are on the road. If you were injured due to an auto accident caused by a drunk driver in the Columbia, South Carolina area, then you are advised to find a strong attorney in your area who can help you hold the responsible party liable.

By filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit, you can potentially obtain financial recovery for expenses such as medical bills, lost wages from time spent out of work, future lost wages from a disability and more. As an innocent victim, you should not be forced to pay these costs out of your own pocket—the drunk driver should be the one to bear this financial burden. At the Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr., LLC, we have Columbia personal injury attorney who is looking out for your best interests.

Facts About Drunk Driving Accidents

Nationwide, 31% of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities in 2011 were caused by accidents that involved drivers with blood alcohol concentrations of 0.08% or higher (or drivers above the legal limit for drinking and driving), according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The total death toll from these accidents for that year came out to 9,878 people killed. On average, one drunk driving-related death occurs every 53 minutes in the U.S. When looking specifically at the state of South Carolina, there were a total of 315 traffic accident fatalities that involved drivers with blood alcohol levels of 0.08% or higher (representing 38% of all traffic accident fatalities in the state).

There are even more individuals who are injured in non-fatal drunk driving accidents each year. Traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers can lead to various types of injuries, from those that take a few weeks or months of recovery to those that lead to lifelong disabilities. These can lead to mounting medical expenses and other expenses that can create a great amount of economic hardship for victims. When drunk driving accidents cause victims' deaths, those individuals' family members can end up being left behind with extreme emotional and financial losses.

Taking Action After Your Injury

When you work with The Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr., LLC, our lawyers can thoroughly review the facts of your case and help you determine your best approach for taking action following your injury. Because we have extensive experience working with insurance companies, we can assist you if you are dealing with an insurer that does not want to pay a fair claim settlement. If the insurer is not willing to make you a fair offer, we can help you take the case to court. There are many pieces of evidence that could point to a drunk driver's guilt. These might include records from law enforcement of the other party's DUI arrest, video footage taken by law enforcement surrounding the time of the arrest, witness testimony and more.

Furthermore, medical records and testimony from medical professionals can also be used to demonstrate the severity of your injuries. We can do the digging on your behalf to help you access the evidence you need in order to strengthen your case. We make ourselves flexible to our clients' schedules, so you can feel free to call us 24 hours a day, and that includes weekends. We handle cases throughout Columbia, SC and various surrounding South Carolina communities.

Contact a Columbia car accident attorney from our office so we can help you get on a path toward recovery!