You’re driving in Bakersfield, and suddenly, a drunk driver coming from the other direction hits you head-on. You are traumatized, have suffered severe injuries, and can’t work for months. What should you do?
Unfortunately, drunk driving accidents are all too common in Bakersfield and throughout California. If a drunk driver hits you and you suffer injuries and losses, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the liable party.
The Law Offices of Mickey Fine has many years of experience filing personal injury lawsuits against drunk drivers. Our Bakersfield drunk driving accident lawyer will work to hold the at-fault person accountable and fight for every dime of compensation you deserve from insurance companies.
Call our office today at (661) 333-3333 or contact us online to set up your free case evaluation. We are ready to assess your best options as the victim of a drunk driver.
The Law Offices of Mickey Fine is a respected personal injury law firm based in Bakersfield, California. Our personal injury lawyer has over 35 years of experience helping injury victims obtain the compensation they deserve for medical bills, property damage, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.
Our personal injury lawyers have obtained favorable verdicts and settlements in many cases, including:
$1 million for a pedestrian in a parking lot accident
$929,000 for a tourist who suffered an injury on a motorcycle
The Law Offices of Mickey Fine also has extensive experience representing people injured by drunk drivers. We charge no upfront costs and are only paid if we win.
Our law offices are conveniently located in Bakersfield on Truxtun Avenue near the Bakersfield Marriott and Convention Center. If you cannot visit our office in person, we can set up a video meeting or another arrangement. Someone is available to take your call at any time.
How Much Is My Drunk Driving Accident Case Worth?
It’s difficult to say what your drunk driving case is worth without knowing the particulars. The best way to obtain an approximate case value range is to speak to a Bakersfield drunk driving accident lawyer today.
The Law Office of Mickey Fine is deeply experienced with drunk driving accidents resulting in injury. We can examine your case free of charge and provide an idea of its potential value.
The following factors usually influence what a drunk driving personal injury lawsuit is worth:
The severity of injuries: When a drunk driver hit you in Bakersfield, did you break bones? Suffer a traumatic brain injury? Or were they soft tissue injuries, such as whiplash? The more severe your injuries, the higher the potential case value.
Medical treatments required: If you need a hospital stay and surgeries for a brain injury from a head-on DUI accident, the case value is higher. On the other hand, if you had whiplash, cuts, and scrapes and didn’t need surgery, the value is likely less.
Time away from work: Missing months of work will usually lead to a higher case value.
Pain and suffering: Severe injuries, as are the treatments to get you back to health, are more painful. Serious injuries also often have substantial mental and emotional trauma.
No two drunk driving accidents and injuries are the same, so coming up with a typical case value is difficult. But you can learn more about what your drunk driving case is worth by contacting a Bakersfield DUI accident lawyer now.
Where Do Auto Accidents Occur in Bakersfield?
Bakersfield is a growing community, and serious accidents are far too common. According to UC Berkeley’s Safe Transportation Research and Education Center, car accidents in Bakersfield usually happen in the downtown and northeast sections.
But the worst intersections are located in southwest Bakersfield.
Common accident intersections in Bakersfield include:
Ming Avenue and New Stine Road
Gosford Road and Ming Avenue
34th Street and Q Street
H Street and Ming Avenue
H Street and Planz Road
Baker Street and Niles Street
4th Street and Union Avenue
About Drunk Driving Accidents In Bakersfield
California has approximately 57,000 auto accidents annually, with hundreds in Bakersfield.
Some of those are drunk driving accidents, and these are the most common accident types:
Rear-end collision: Rear-end crashes are the most common Bakersfield car accidents, and they often involve drunk drivers. DUI drivers are distracted and don’t have the judgment or coordination to drive safely. Drunk drivers may even pass out or fall asleep while driving and slam into others waiting at stop lights.
Head-on collision: Head-on crashes are common with drunk Bakersfield drivers. Fatigue, distraction, and intoxication can cause the driver to lose control and slam into another vehicle head-on. This is a severe accident that often causes devastating injuries or death.
Sideswipe collision: This accident happens when two perpendicular vehicles glance off each other. The intoxicated driver may lose control or fall asleep, hitting the other car. You may only suffer minor damage to your car, but the impact can lead to losing control and hitting other objects or vehicles.
T-bone collision: Drunk drivers in Bakersfield are notorious for not seeing a red light or stop sign, running it, and T-boning other drivers. These are often high-speed DUI crashes, and serious injuries are frequent.
Drunk driving accidents often involve high speed, reckless driving, and severe injuries are common:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI): TBIs are among the most common drunk driving accident injuries. You could have devastating injuries that affect your ability to remember and coordinate movements, reasoning, emotions, vision, hearing, and more. If you have TBI after a drunk driver hits you, Attorney Mickey Fine will fight for maximum compensation for a full recovery.
Spinal cord injuries: Many drunk driving accident victims have spine injuries that damage the spinal cord. You could have full or partial paralysis that costs millions of dollars in care over your life.
Organ damage: Common organs injured in Bakersfield drunk driving crashes are the kidneys, spleen, and lungs. These can be damaged by the impact or by lack of oxygen.
Burns: If a drunk driver hits you at high speed, a fuel tank can rupture and burn accident victims. Burn injuries are extremely painful with a long recovery.
Broken bones and crushed limbs: You could have a broken arm, leg, hip, collar bone, or other fracture. Another injury is when a limb is crushed in the resulting accident.
If a drunk Bakersfield driver has seriously injured you, immediately contact a drunk driving personal injury attorney to fight for your rights. The drunk driver could have been arrested and criminally charged. The good news is you can use evidence collected in the criminal case to sue them for damages.
How a Bakersfield Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Can Help
After a drunk driver hits and injures you, the last thing on your mind is talking to lawyers. You probably suffered an injury, are in pain, and are focused on improving. However, one of the best calls you can ever make is to an experienced drunk driving accident attorney in Bakersfield.
More Severe Injuries
Drunk driving accidents frequently happen at high speed, and the drunk driver may be so out of it that they don’t even slow down or avoid the collision. This can cause more severe injuries, requiring more recovery and medical treatments.
Imagine if you break your back in a crash with a drunk driver. You could be paralyzed or have nerve damage and can’t get out of bed, let alone work. How do you know how much money to demand from the insurance company?
Your attorney frequently handles drunk driving claims and lawsuits and will determine the amount of compensation you need to get back to optimal health.
Skilled Insurance Negotiator
Your Bakersfield drunk driving accident lawyer has years of training and experience in insurance negotiations. The insurance company will likely try to short-change you, even if their drunk client was at fault. If the insurance company balks at paying for your drunk driving crash, your attorney will explain your other legal options.
Identifies All Liable Parties
A drunk driver slams into you in a busy Bakersfield intersection. It’s understandable if you conclude the driver is at fault and file a lawsuit. But did you know you can sue other people and entities?
Let’s say the driver delivered groceries full-time for a local grocery chain. You may sue the employer if the driver was working when the crash happened. Our attorneys will find every possible party we can hold liable, including employers, contractors, and even government agencies.
Fighting The Insurance Company
A Bakersfield drunk driving accident lawyer can help you with the insurance company in several ways. The insurance company for the at-fault party wants to minimize its payout to you. It may attempt to partially blame you for the accident or claim you don’t have serious injuries.
The Law Offices of Mickey Fine will use all relevant evidence to show that the drunk driver was at fault and caused your injuries. Then, our attorneys will demand the maximum compensation for your losses. If the settlement offer is insufficient, our legal team is ready to go to court and make the most persuasive argument to the jury.
Your attorney may also help you find other liable parties and negotiate with their insurance provider. California has a Dram shop law, which may allow you, in some cases, to hold the alcohol provider liable for the accident.
Generally, California dram shop laws limit actions against social hosts to those who serve alcohol to minors. If you can hold the social host who served the alcohol at fault, your attorney will negotiate aggressively with their insurance company.
Another exception to the California Dram shop law is if a person or business served someone alcohol who was underage and intoxicated already. If the establishment or host served a clearly intoxicated underaged driver, you may sue them for damages.
Whichever insurance company is liable for your injuries, the Law Offices of Mickey Fine know all the games they play. Our attorneys are excellent negotiators and won’t settle for less than you deserve.
What To Do After A Drunk Driving Accident
Most people know they should call the police and 911 after any car accident. But when you think your accident involved a drunk driver:
When you call the police, tell them you suspect a drunk driver hit you. Mention any signs of intoxication, such as slurred speech or lack of coordination.
Stay calm with the drunk driver: You are almost certainly upset, but stay calm with the other driver. You don’t know how the person will act if you become agitated. If the driver is too drunk to give you their information, note the license plate and make of the vehicle.
Note any other signs of intoxication and write them down. Write down what they say, how they behave, and if there are signs of drinking, such as bottles, in the car.
Tell the police when they arrive that you think that driver is drunk and point to your evidence.
You know you should see a doctor for your injuries, but make sure you follow your doctor’s treatment plan to the letter. Attend every follow-up and specialist appointment.
Contact a Bakersfield drunk driving accident attorney right away. The other driver’s insurance company will try to deny liability and may deny coverage of a drunk driving accident. You need immediate legal representation to preserve your legal options. Give our attorney all of the evidence you have, including medical bills, police reports, any journal entries about the accident, your injuries, and signs the
Bakersfield Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer, Mickey Fine
Being in a drunk driving accident is terrifying and frustrating. You are undoubtedly shaken up, potentially injured, and upset at the other driver’s recklessness.
After calling 911 and the police, the best move is to call our Bakersfield personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Mickey Fine. Our firm knows how to hold drunk drivers accountable for your losses.
Law Offices of Mickey Fine – Bakersfield Office 930 Truxtun Ave, Suite 110 Bakersfield, CA 93301 (661) 333-3333
Commonly Asked Questions About Drunk Driving Accidents in Bakersfield, California
Who Will Pay for My Compensation in a Drunk Driving Accident Claim?
An accident victim will likely be able to receive a compensatory settlement from the at-fault party's insurance company. In the event of a criminal DUI case, a court may order the other driver to pay restitution damages to the victim. However, these damages are more limited in their scope than the damages that can be pursued through a personal injury claim, as they do not cover non-economic damages like pain and suffering.
How Much is my Drunk Driving Accident Claim Worth?
The value of your claim will depend on the severity of your losses. Severe injuries or a wrongful death claim will likely result in higher settlement amounts. Our experienced attorneys can help you understand what factors affect your claim's value and negotiate to get you maximum compensation.
How Long Will My Claim Take to Resolve?
Each case is unique, and some require different approaches to ensure a positive outcome. A skilled lawyer understands that the length of your case will depend on several variables and is able to prepare you for what you should expect. Your attorney will personally ensure that you are aware of any and all developments in your case and work to expedite its processes so that you can have the money you need to pay for your injuries as soon as possible.
Should I Accept a Settlement From My Insurance Company for a Drunk Driving Accident?
No, you should always consult with a drunk driving accident lawyer first. Without the legal counsel of a knowledgeable attorney, it's impossible to know that an insurance company's settlement offer is fair. Many times, it's not. You deserve to get the facts about your case before making a decision. If you've been in a motor vehicle accident, you should reach out to the Law Offices of Mickey Fine as soon as possible.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim for a Drunk Driving Accident?
As with other types of personal injury claims, the statute of limitations in California for drunk driving accidents is two years from the date of the accident. Your options may be severely limited if you attempt to file a claim after that time. For this reason, it's crucial that you speak with a car accident attorney like Mickey Fine as soon as possible after a drunk driving accident.
