Wisconsin Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers

Drunk driving accidents cause a swath of destruction, and the people who suffer most are the victims. When a drunk driver gets behind the wheel, they are failing in their duty of care to other drivers on the road. If you were in a car accident with a drunk driver and sustained serious injuries, you would need a Madison drunk driving accident attorney to fight for you.

At Pemberton PI Law Offices in Wisconsin, we understand your plight as you endure painful physical injuries, emotional trauma, and financial burdens because someone else behaved negligently. While the Wisconsin Department of Transportation works to make the roads safer, our attorneys work diligently to fight on behalf of accident victims. Spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and wrongful death are often the result when a drunk driver gets behind the wheel.

Introduction to Wisconsin Drunk Driving Laws

In Wisconsin, driving under the influence or operating while intoxicated (OWI) is a criminal act that is prohibited. Drivers over 21 with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or more are not permitted to operate a vehicle. Wisconsin drivers who are under the legal drinking age are subject to the state’s zero tolerance policy, and any amount of alcohol in their system, no matter how minute, is considered illegal.

Any driver who has already been convicted of three or more OWI charges will have a lower BAC limit of 0.02% to be considered over the limit. A driver who breaks these laws will need a Wisconsin DUI accident lawyer to defend their criminal charges; however, victims of drunk driving accidents can pursue compensation and justice through a personal injury claim with the help of a personal injury attorney.

Common Causes and Consequences of Drunk Driving Accidents

When a drunk driving accident occurs, it is caused by a driver who failed to be responsible and got behind the wheel while intoxicated. Drunkenness causes a loss of judgment and slowed reaction times. Drivers in this condition may have blurry vision that impairs their ability to see other drivers, and they will lack coordination, often failing to maintain control of their vehicle.

Some drivers who fail to uphold their duty of care do not cause crashes. However, when a drunk driving accident occurs, victims are left suffering the consequences. A drunk driving car accident can cause:

Traumatic brain injury
Spinal cord injury
Broken bones
Paralysis
Disfigurement
Amputations
Wrongful death

If you suspect that the other driver was intoxicated during your car accident, make sure you contact a personal injury attorney from our legal team to help. We will investigate and gather evidence to recover damages on your behalf.

The Role of Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys in Wisconsin

Drunk driving is a crime, and while it will result in criminal charges for the other driver, victims have the right to file a personal injury case for a drunk driving accident in civil court. A victim’s injuries, especially from a serious accident, can be profoundly life-altering.

When you make a car accident claim, you can seek medical expenses for all medical costs, lost wages, property damage, physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more. In personal injury cases where victims succumb to their injuries, surviving family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit. The court will likely impose punitive damages as a form of added punishment to the other driver.

These personal injury matters can become extremely complex, and while you are grappling with the sudden changes in your life, a drunk driving accident lawyer will handle every aspect of your case. From investigations and evidence to negotiations and standing up for you in court, contact a personal injury attorney at Pemberton today to get the legal representation you need.

Steps to Take Immediately After a Car Accident with a Drunk Driver

After getting into a car wreck, there are specific steps you can take at the accident scene to help safeguard your legal rights:

Call 911

When you are involved in a major car accident, you should always call 911. At this point, you likely will not be aware that the other driver is drunk. You’ll likely be in shock, and you may notice your injuries, or the adrenaline surge may make the symptoms less obvious. In some cases, intoxicated drivers try to bargain with victims and beg them not to call the police. Others simply flee the scene, and the best course of action is to get police to respond immediately. They fill out police reports, and if the driver of the other vehicle is intoxicated, they will be arrested, and this will be noted on the report.

Seek Immediate Medical Care After the Accident

Drunk driving crashes are often very catastrophic because these drivers have clouded judgment, often speeding or going the wrong way. Many victims wake up in the hospital after such events, but if you are still conscious, make sure you get medical treatment right away. This also creates medical records that the insurance company will need for your claim.

Gather Evidence

This step is difficult when a crash is so severe that victims are rushed to the hospital for treatment. If you are able to do so, take photos and videos of the aftermath. Get the license plate of the other vehicle in your photos, as well as images of the other driver if they try to leave the scene. Insurance claims are easier to negotiate when you have plentiful evidence. Additionally, if anyone saw the accident, get witness statements and contact information from them. Some may have reported seeing the person driving while intoxicated to the police before the impact of the crash if they noticed the driver was making erratic moves and swerving all over the road before the accident.

Set Up an Initial Consultation and Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney

In a personal injury claim that involves an intoxicated driver, the best way to seek compensation is with the help of a lawyer. You have likely been hurt to the extent that you may need months to recover, or you may be rendered permanently unable to work again, all because someone else made a negligent error.

Both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation have noted that half of all traffic fatalities in the state are due to alcohol or drugs, with the Wisconsin DOT specifying 7,701 crashes total, 512 involving intoxication, and 229 in 2023. Therefore, if the person who caused your crash was inebriated at the time, our law firm will fight for justice, compensation, and punitive damages to hold the responsible party liable.

How Pemberton PI Law Firm Supports Victims’ Rights in Car Accidents with Drunk Drivers

After being hit by an intoxicated driver, your life will feel like it’s been turned upside down. In a fraction of a second, someone else changed your life for the worse. Their negligent behavior may cost you the ability to walk on your own again. You may never be able to go back to your career and be forced to take a lower-paying position. You may have medical needs that continue for the rest of your life, all because someone else decided to get behind the wheel rather than calling a rideshare or taxi for a safe ride.

It angers us when we see good people suffer at the hands of negligent actors in such a way. Our attorneys understand this is traumatic, and that you now have to cope with a new normal that you did not choose. This is precisely why we provide compassionate and personalized service to our clients in these situations. We will stand by you and seek compensation for all of your economic and non-economic damages.

While we know that money can’t change what happened, especially if you have lost a loved one in a crash caused by an intoxicated driver, it can provide you with what you need for funeral and burial costs and can make up for the lost income a breadwinner provided. We focus on every aspect of the case, allowing you to either recover from the physical impacts you’ve suffered or to grieve the loss of your family member amid this tragedy.

Why Choose Pemberton PI for Madison Drunk Driving Legal Services?

At Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm, we are deeply committed to our clients. We have a strong track record of success and a fighting spirit that makes us stop at nothing to turn a horrific and traumatizing event around, allowing you to move forward in your life.

If you’re worried about your medical needs after a car accident, how you’ll support your family, or you’re struggling to adapt to life without a limb or another drastic change, contact us today. We provide a free initial consultation, allowing you to learn more about your legal options and how we can help you with your case.

(608) 448-6242