Cleveland Drunk Driving Accidents
Our Ohio attorneys demand justice
The dangers of drinking and driving have been well documented for decades. That’s why drunk driving accidents are so frustrating. Drivers know better than to drink and drive. Even so, some drivers ignore such warnings and cause serious car accidents while under the influence of alcohol.
If you or a loved one was injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver in Ohio, you deserve to be compensated for your crash. You deserve to have your injuries taken seriously. You deserve the top-notch legal team of Merriman Legal, LLC.
Located in Cleveland and serving the legal needs of accident victims throughout the state, our experienced Ohio drunk driving accident attorneys can help you every step of the way. We thoroughly understand the state’s laws and know what needs to be done to demand justice.
What you should do
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver, we strongly urge you to take the following steps:
- Call the police and tell them a drunk driver has caused your crash.
- Ask the emergency dispatcher to send an ambulance.
- Make sure you have a medical professional evaluate you.
- Write down what type of test the police officer administers to determine if other driver is legally drunk.
- Contact our law firm as soon as possible. We can help you with every step from here.
Compensation for a drunk driving accident
Being hit by a drunk driver can be a scary experience and if you’ve been hurt you deserve to be compensated. Since every drunk driving case is different, there isn’t an average settlement you can expect to be awarded. How much money you receive depends on many factors, like the severity of your car accident injuries. For example, if someone has minor injuries, they might get less compensation than in cases where the drunk driving accident resulted in a fatality. However, other times, someone with similar injuries might receive significantly more financial compensation. The difference often comes down to the individual circumstances of your case to determine the compensation amount. And many times, the attorney you have handling your injury claim or lawsuit can often make a big difference in the outcome of your case.
Is the drunk driver automatically at fault?
In Ohio, the fact that a driver was intoxicated does not automatically make them at fault in a drunk driving accident. While drunk driving is a serious violation of the law, fault in an accident is determined based on the specific circumstances of the collision. If the non-drunk driver involved in the accident was engaged in reckless behavior, violated traffic laws, or contributed to the collision in some way, they could be assigned partial or full fault.
The determination of fault typically requires a thorough investigation, which is why consulting with a Cleveland drunk driving accident attorney can be crucial for the outcome of your case. Otherwise, you might not get the financial compensation you deserve for your car accident.
Can you sue the bar or restaurant?
Yes, in Ohio, it is possible for someone to sue a bar or restaurant that served alcohol to a drunk driver who was involved in an accident. Ohio has dram shop laws that allow for such legal action. These laws hold establishments responsible if they serve or sell alcohol to a visibly intoxicated or underage individual who then causes a car accident or injury due to their intoxication.
However, the success of an Ohio dram shop lawsuit typically depends on proving that the establishment was negligent in serving the alcohol and that this negligence directly led to the accident. It’s a complex legal process, and individuals seeking to pursue such claims should consult with an attorney. Whether you were rear-ended by a drunk driver or if your accident was a hit and run, you can take legal action against the bar or restaurant that served the driver under the influence.
How we can help
As your attorney, we can contact the police and ask for a copy of the official accident report. This report should document what tests were given to determine if the other driver was legally intoxicated. The official accident report should also state whether the other driver was drunk.
But that’s only the beginning of what we can do for you. The hardest part of our job often involves convincing the other driver’s insurance company to fully compensate you for your accident. In many cases, many insurance companies do everything they can to reduce or deny accident claims altogether.
Insurance companies don’t intimidate us. We know how to negotiate with them. And if they refuse to cooperate, we’re prepared to take them to court and file a lawsuit against them on your behalf. That’s why it’s critical that you contact us as soon as possible. The sooner we can get to work on your case, the sooner we can help you get your life back on track.
