Drunk Driving Accidents in South Carolina

The Law Office of Brian T. Smith is a drunk driving accident law firm in South Carolina that helps victims and families who have been hurt due to another person’s decision to drink and drive. Under South Carolina law, a driver can be charged with drinking and driving if they are found to be driving with a BAC above 0.08. However, this is not the only way a person can be found guilty of drinking and driving. If the driver refuses to take a blood or breath alcohol test, the driver can also be charged with a DUI if officers believe the driver may have been impaired from drinking alcohol or using drugs.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a drunk driving accident, or impaired driving accident, you and your family may be facing unexpected medical expenses, lost wages due to missed days from work, and a long rehabilitation period, all while struggling to heal and adjust to life with disability or serious injury. The drunk driving accident lawyer at the Law Office of Brian T. Smith in South Carolina can help you and your family seek damages from insurance companies and also from negligent parties. Because drunk driving is a crime, victims of drunk drivers may also have the ability to seek money from victims’ recovery funds and other programs for victims of drunk drivers. The first step in healing is to get the medical and rehabilitation care you need. The next step, is to reach out to a drunk driving accident lawyer in South Carolina at the Law Office of Brian T. Smith. Our drunk driving accident law firm in South Carolina can review the details of your case, review your insurance policy, write demand letters to negligent parties, and fight to help you get the settlement you may deserve under the law.

What are My Rights as a Drunk Driving Accident Victim in South Carolina?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, every day approximately 28 people die in drunk driving related crashes. Alcohol can impair and affect everything from reaction time to coordination to thinking ability. The choice to drink and drive makes the road a dangerous place for everyone. Every year, drunk driving accidents kill over 10,000 people. These figures don’t even begin to account for the many more people who survive these accidents with disabling injuries like spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and more. Families of drunk driving accident victims can also suffer, especially if a family member needs to become a caretaker for a disabled family member, or if the family loses their primary breadwinner.

Drunk driving accident victims and their families may have a range of options and rights when it comes to seeking a recovery for their losses following an accident involving an impaired driver. Victims may be able to seek compensation from insurance companies. However, when negotiating a settlement with insurance adjusters, it can be incredibly helpful to understand the value of your claim. Sometimes insurance companies might offer families what appears to be a significant settlement, but families may later learn that they might have been entitled to seek more money in compensation. A drunk driving accident lawyer may be able to assist you in understanding the value of your claim. For example, a lawyer may be able to review your medical bills, and also estimate future medical bills if you will have a long recovery period or will need ongoing rehabilitative or nursing care. A drunk driving accident lawyer can also use formulas to estimate your pain and suffering damages, and other losses. These damages can be difficult to calculate because they don’t often involve receipts or bills. Once the South Carolina drunk driving accident law firm of The Law Office of Brian T. Smith understands what your claim might be worth, our lawyers can work with insurance adjusters to help you get the best possible settlement permitted under the policy. We can take a close look at insurance policies to make sure that insurance companies and adjusters are honoring their contracts.

In addition to seeking damages from insurance companies, the drunk driving accident lawyers at the Law Office of Brian T. Smith can also write demand letters and seek damages directly from negligent parties. Sometimes insurance doesn’t cover all your losses. Negligent drivers who chose to drink and drive may be responsible for paying your additional bills and compensating you for additional losses.

The Law Office of Brian T. Smith is a drunk driving accident law firm in South Carolina that advocates for drunk driving victims. Whether it’s helping you and your family seek a fair compensation from insurance companies, seeking damages from responsible parties, or helping your family navigate the legal system and crime victims’ compensation funds, the Law Office of Brian T. Smith is here to help you and your family in South Carolina.

Dram Shop Laws in South Carolina

Under dram shop laws in South Carolina, victims of drunk driving may additionally be able to seek damages from a bar, restaurant, or social host who served alcohol to an intoxicated individual or to an underage individual. Under the law, restaurants, bars, and social hosts serving alcohol have a responsibility to stop serving alcohol to a person who is visibly and clearly intoxicated. What are some ways that victims may be able to make a claim under dram shop laws? If a bar served a dozen drinks to a person in a short period of time and there are receipts or records of this, the bar could be held liable under South Carolina’s dram shop laws. If a person served alcohol to an underage person and then this person got behind the wheel and got into an accident, the person who served alcohol to the minor could be held liable under South Carolina’s dram shop laws. Do you have questions about whether you may be able to make a claim under South Carolina’s dram shop laws? Reach out to the Law Office of Brian T. Smith, a drunk driving accident law firm in South Carolina today.

Contact a Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer in South Carolina

The Law Office of Brian T. Smith is a drunk driving accident law firm in South Carolina that may be able to help you and your family if you or someone you love was hurt in a drunk driving accident. You may only have a limited amount of time to seek damages if you have been hurt due to the choices of another person to drink and drive. Reach out to the drunk driving accident lawyer at the Law Office of Brian T. Smith today to learn more about your rights and options under the law.