The number of injuries attributed to drunk driving annually is mind-boggling. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 28 people in the United States die in drunk-driving car accidents.
If you get involved in a car crash and think it might have been initiated by a drunk driver, ensure you call 911 instantly and do not leave the accident scene. Police will have to make an appearance at the site, analyze the situation, and gather evidence. If you need medical support, the police officers can plan for this too.
Several other steps to take include:
1. Remain Composed, Analyze Dangers, and Maintain Your Safety and that of Other People
Once your car has come to a standstill, maintain your composure and instantly analyze the situation. If there is a person who has sustained an injury, contact the police and request medical aid. Immediately after the accident, your safety and that of others should be paramount. Deploy good judgment to avoid escalating the situation.
2. Remain at the Scene
Never leave the crash scene unless remaining there presents a major threat to your safety or health. The duty to stop and give aid after a car crash is compulsory under Chicago statutory law.
3. Never Make Any Statement of Apology at the Scene
At the accident scene, you should give aid if you are in a position to and the other driver requires it. Apart from that, communication with the drunk driver must be restricted. An experienced lawyer will advise not to confront or argue with the drunk driver. It would help if you did not say anything or do something, which can cause conflicts between people at the crash site.
4. Call the Cops Straightaway
The cops must be alerted concerning the accident straightway. Never let the other driver or people at the accident scene convince you not to call the authorities. As a matter of fact, there are multiple reasons why you should reach out to the police immediately after an accident. To start us off, reporting traffic accidents in Chicago is mandated by the law.
Second, the police officers who respond to the call will give invaluable aid at the crash scene. The traffic police will direct traffic and make the scene safer. They will assist in getting a swift reaction from medical personnel and organizing towing services if needed.
5. Victims Should Seek Medical Treatment Right Away
Victims should deploy excellent judgment in deciding the place, the time, and from who to get medical aid. Lest the person is confident that they have suffered no injuries, it is good to go for treatment or a checkup. Some injuries are not apparent and might need tests by experienced medics to unearth.
6. Take Pictures and Videos of the Damaged Car and Site of the Accident
Law experts claim that pictures and videos are crucial in a civil case since they do wonders when you are graphically demonstrating to the jury the collision force.
7. Obtain Records about the Drunk Driver and Other Occupants
The victim or another person must acquire and note down as much information concerning the drunk driver and occupants of the other vehicle as possible on behalf of the victims.
8. Establish and Acquire Data Concerning the Owner of the At-Fault Automobile
The intoxicated driver might be using an automobile owned by another person or a business. Ergo, it is crucial to establish the actual owner of the at-fault vehicle. If a person owns the vehicle, try and acquire their full name, address, and mobile number. If the at-fault car is the property of an organization, try and get the name and address of the entity. To tell if there was a negligent designation of the car to the drunk driver, get data regarding when and how the driver came to have possession of the automobile.
9. Observe and Note All Proof of the At-Fault Driver’s Drunkenness at the Site of the Accident
While at the accident site, look out for any indications that the at-fault driver is drunk. Note and record any sign of alcohol impairment, such as slurred speech. Observe if there is a stench of liquor emanating from the at-fault driver’s car, garments, or breath. And humbly bring your observation to the attention of the responding traffic cops.
10. Pinpoint and Acquire Critical Information about the Witnesses
In a civil trial, the victim must call individuals to attest in support of their claims. Hence, all witnesses must be traced and located without delay. Our society is mobile, and several prospective witnesses might relocate to other places away from the locale of the accident. And some of the witnesses might have a poor recollection. So, the sooner you contact them, the more accurate their observations are.
11. Gather and Keep All Vital Tangible Evidence from the Accident Scene
You should go the extra mile and collect and securely keep any substantial tangible proof that can be taken away from the accident site. Deploy excellent judgment in determining what evidence should be removed from the site. Zayed’s Law Firm experts advise you to take and safely keep things like beer cans, drug paraphernalia, or liquor bottles, which the at-fault driver might have discarded. You can learn more about gathering all the evidences from the accident scene from this website.
12. Avoid Giving Media Statements
Statements issued to the media hardly benefit the victim’s legal position. As a matter of fact, they are frequently detrimental. Ergo, you should avoid giving statements to the media concerning the accident.
13. Drunk Driving Victims Should Get Legal Representation
There are a lot of great reasons to lawyer up, and legal representation is typically believed to have many benefits, including:
- More comprehensive investigations
- Conducting accident reconstruction
- Safeguarding legal rights
- Establishing the merits of other claims
Final Thoughts
Getting hit by a drunk driver is awful as it impacts your ability to work and leaves you with an astronomical medical bill. Hence, when you get involved in a drunk driving accident, you need an experienced car accident attorney by your side.
