Motor vehicle collisions often create several major expenses. They almost always generate property damage losses. Even cosmetic damage to vehicles can be expensive to repair. Car crashes can also result in injury or death.
Typically, the party at fault for a collision provides insurance coverage or compensation to those affected by a crash. However, some collisions involve unusual circumstances. For example, drunk driving is a crime. It is also a top cause of major collisions and traffic fatalities.
What compensation options do people have after sustaining injuries or losing a loved one because of an impaired driving collision?
Holding the driver accountable
As is the case with any other type of crash, a drunk driving collision is the responsibility of the motorist at fault. Usually, they can provide compensation through liability insurance coverage. The policies that drivers carry can offset property damage and injury expenses.
In cases with higher total losses or an uninsured driver, the people affected by a drunk driving crash could file a lawsuit. The impaired motorist may be liable for any expenses they caused that their insurance cannot cover.
Pursuing a third-party claim
There are several situations in which an outside party rather than the drunk driver may have a degree of liability for a crash. The first involves a social host situation. If someone provided alcohol to a minor at a party or social gathering, it may be possible to take legal action against the host who served the minor for breaking. Hosts may also be responsible for over-serving guests and allowing them to leave in a vehicle if their visitors cause harm after leaving the party.
If a drunk driver consumed alcohol at a business before the crash, then dram shop liability rules might apply. Businesses licensed to serve alcohol are liable if employees provide alcoholic beverages to people visibly under the influence already or those not old enough to legally drink.
An employer can be partially liable in scenarios where a worker drove while on the clock and caused a drunk driving crash. Those affected by impaired motorists may need help evaluating their compensation options after a car wreck. A lawsuit or an insurance claim may help cover the expenses generated by a drunk motorist.