Any car accident is a horrific experience. This nightmare can be made worse when the person who injures you is intoxicated on drugs or alcohol. People who are driving while under the influence are often going too fast and acting erratically at the scene of the accident. If a drunk driver injures you, it is important to know your rights.
Contact the police
Anytime you have been the victim of a crime, you should contact the police. The police will appropriately document the condition of your car, the condition of the drunk driver, and your physical condition. The police can help you secure an ambulance. They will investigate the drunk driver, checking his or her blood and breath for traces of alcohol or drugs. The police will also do an accident investigation report, ensure that no evidence is destroyed, and make sure that the culprit is held accountable.
Receive medical treatment immediately
If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident, you are often in shock, and many people do not feel as if they need to go to the hospital right away. The day after an accident, however, people often wake up feeling tight, disoriented, lightheaded, and in pain. You should go to your family doctor or the nearest emergency room immediately after an accident. It is important that you get your injuries treated so that you can begin improving. (The next day or even a few days later is not too late). Please seek medical attention as soon as possible if you have been the victim of a drunk driver.
Report to insurance
Your insurance company needs to know that a drunk driver injured you. Pennsylvania law dictates that your car insurance company will pay for the first $5,000 of your medical bills, even when someone else is at fault. You do not want to be responsible for these bills, so you must notify your insurance company. If you have an attorney representing you, your attorney will take care of notifying your insurance company and making sure that all your bills are covered.
Cooperate with the police and the District Attorney’s office
Any time you have been the victim of a crime, the police and the District Attorney’s office are there to help and protect you. If you have an attorney representing you for your injuries, that attorney will contact the police and the District Attorney’s office and make sure that your case is handled in a way that makes you comfortable and protects your rights. A personal injury case against the driver is different from a criminal case pursued by the police and the District Attorney. Make sure you have an attorney experienced with drunk driving personal injury cases, so that they can work along with the District Attorney and police to protect your rights.
If you have been the victim of a drunk driver whether in your car, on a bicycle, on a motorcycle, or as a pedestrian, it is important that you contact an attorney immediately to make sure that all your rights are protected.
