A young couple suffered life changing harms after being hit by a drunk driver in San Diego.

California – January 26, 2023

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that approximately one-third of all U.S. traffic deaths are alcohol-related to some degree. A 22-year-old Arizona woman hoping to enjoy the holiday weekend with her boyfriend in San Diego was killed by a drunk driver in the early hours as she was standing on the side of the road in the Crown Point area when a 22-year-old driver allegedly slammed into her. Her 24-year-old boyfriend was left seriously injured and had to be rescued from underneath the pick-up truck according to law enforcement officials at the scene. Both the young couple and the alleged drunk driver had each been partying just before the tragedy happened. The couple left a bar and called an Uber after they realized their SUV had a flat, Eduardo said. The young woman suffered fatal injury at the scene due to obvious trauma and her boyfriend was transported to the hospital with serious injuries. A California personal injury attorney can answer accident victim’s questions regarding damage recovery options.

Car Insurance and liability.

Car insurance is a requirement for California drivers and provides a means to cover costs related to harmful losses resulting from a car accident. California law recognizes responsibility for any part of negligent acts that lead to injury of another person, and insurance compensation is adjusted in accordance with the percentage of fault assigned to each driver. A San Diego injury lawyer can assist victims with the valuation of damages after an accident that will usually include economic and non-economic damages. There are rare instances when punitive damages are awarded, and an accident attorney can explain the possibility of punitive damages for individual cases when DUI is involved.

Criminal charges may impact wrongful death damage award.

Criminal charges range from misdemeanors to felony offenses, and penalties for impaired driving can include driver’s license revocation, fines, and jail time. Insurance companies may take an arrest for a DUI offense causing a car accident into consideration before paying out any claims for accident victims. Consultation with experienced car accident attorneys is a prudent option to make certain that all avenues of fiscal recovery are addressed.

Seek immediate medical screening.

Accident victims should seek medical screening with a doctor, or hospital after an accident, regardless of obvious personal injury. In many cases, a person who does not believe they were injured and has no injury noted by the naked eye, may have sustained significant damage, including brain injury, spinal injury, or other internal damage. Medical personnel must run diagnostic testing to determine if the accident victim has been cleared of these possible injuries. Traumatic brain injury, concussions, or other brain conditions should be ruled out after a car accident to prevent further harmful losses to the victim. A personal injury lawyer will use these reports to build a case for damages.

Wrongful death.

When vehicle accidents result in severe injury that leads to subsequent death, a wrongful death legal action can be brought by loved ones when a person dies because of the negligent, reckless, or deliberate act of another. Damages in these lawsuits can include:

Medical bills and expenses for treatment of the injury.
Funeral and burial expenses,
Compensation for present and future lost wages,
Compensation for the pain and suffering of the victim from the date of injury,
Punitive damages that are intended to punish the person who caused the injury that led to death.

Hire an attorney.

Seek counsel at Jeffrey E. Estes & Associates immediately after an auto accident for guidance in the recovery of harmful losses that may include hospital and medical bills, lost wages, property damages, future care for residual injury, and pain and suffering. Accident attorneys will assist with the completion of insurance and legal documents toward the recovery of damages and initiate wrongful death litigation when it is necessary.

Jeffrey E. Estes & Associates, a Professional Law Corporation
501 West Broadway, Suite 1650
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: 619-233-8021
Fax: 619-233-3730

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