Victims of drunk driving accidents can face substantial legal hurdles when seeking to recover money damages for an alcohol-related accident, injury or wrongful death — particularly if the at-fault driver is uninsured or driving on a suspended license. As a survivor of a personal injury or wrongful death accident, you need the help of experienced St. Louis car accident attorneys to recover the compensation that you are due. A lawyer can provide you with the advice and guidance you need to make the best possible decisions in a difficult personal and financial situation.

Drunk drivers pose a threat to public safety and thus incur both criminal and civil penalties for an alcohol-related accident:

• In criminal court, the driver is likely to incur substantial fines and face a prison term if the prosecutor brings a charge of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or vehicular homicide.
• In civil court, the family is likely to sue the drunk driver directly to obtain compensation for their injuries and/or wrongful death losses. If the driver is incarcerated and/or insolvent, it may be difficult for families to obtain an adequate recovery after a drunk driving incident.

There is one other avenue of recovery available to people who sustain damages during an alcohol-related car crash. In Missouri, there are dram shop litigation statutes that hold the liquor store, grocer, bar or restaurant that served the liquor to a patron who was already visibly intoxicated liable for the resultant drunk driving accident. A lawyer can help you pursue this avenue of recovery by questioning other witnesses at the bar and pursuing this line of litigation on your family’s behalf.

If you have been injured in a drunk driving crash, there is no substitute for an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney in the days and weeks following the incident. It may be difficult to obtain sufficient compensation through the drunk drivers’ insurance policy, and if the driver is incarcerated, it may make the process that much more difficult.

For more information about drunk driving accidents, contact Guirl Law Firm, LLC.