Could I be held liable for property damage after a drunken driving accident?

Drunk or drug impaired drivers cost the exchequer billions worth in property damage every year and $50 billion in alcohol related deaths. The cost of all these lost lives on society though is hard to put a number on. Lots of talent and knowledge is systematically annihilated by careless and selfish behavior. Most of these crashes occur at night and on the weekends.

Thousands of drivers are arrested every year for DUI in Florida and many face serious charges which carry harsh penalties such as fines, jail, and license suspension. Since DUI-related property damage is a serious charge you need a drunk driving accident lawyer in Palm Beach, Florida to help you and there is no one better than J. Scott Gun P.A. Attorneys at Law.

If your alcohol impairment resulted in a crash that caused significant destruction to property, then you can be held liable for the damage. This means that you will have to pay for the repair. Both criminal as well as civil charges are usually leveled against such offenders, say drunk driving accident attorneys from Palm Beach, FL and one of the best in the business in this part of Florida is J. Scott Gun P.A. Attorneys at Law. This means you may have to spend thousands of dollars depending on the extent of damage caused in a drunk driving accident.

Who else can be named in the lawsuit by prosecution?

Florida’s Dram Shop Law

In some cases liability in a DUI accident can be brought against people who have served you alcohol for instance a host of a party, a restaurant owner, and a bar tender. Florida is among the states to implement the dram shop law where these parties can be held liable in certain circumstances.

They can often be held financially accountable if they have over-served a patron. However, laws differ from one state to another. In some states this type of third party liability carries much harsher penalties than others. It would be prudent to check with a local legal counselor for information on your state’s laws.

Defending DUI Charge involving Property Damage

According to Palm Beach, FL drunk accident lawyers and based on his talent and acumen one of the best in this area of the law is J. Scott Gun P.A. Attorneys at Law the first thing a legal representative will do is review the police report and then decide a strategy that could potentially provide you with the best defense. It is important to be aware of what is known as crash report privilege.

For the most part, drivers are encouraged to report incidents in an accident investigation in lieu of which they are granted immunity. But while doing so, it is possible that you may say something to incriminate yourself. This is why you ought to remain silent and simply provide the officers with your license and registration ask for your lawyer and potentially save yourself from a DUI conviction. Most likely you do not have one at this point. You are not D'Angelo Barksdale in the exquisite show The Wire.

In order to establish liability the prosecutor will have to prove that you were the one driving the vehicle and in most cases it is difficult to prove if there are no witnesses. A legal professional will also be able to make the evidence inadmissible - hopefully. However, he/she will need your help and you must explain the circumstances under which the accident took place.

Most evidence in DUI cases are circumstantial. So basically a field sobriety test loses it evidential value when you are already shaken due to the accident and you appear dazed due to the turn of events. You could be right in front of your home! Why is this even happening? You only drove 2 blocks and you are barely drunk. Why does this police officer not go catch a gangster or another type of criminal some liberal judge put back on the street?! In addition, if there is an airbag deployment your breathalyzer tests will not produce accurate results and this inconsistency has been pointed out repeatedly by experts.

If you or a loved one has been arrested and charged after a DUI crash, we recommend that you speak with a Palm Beach area Florida drunk driving accident lawyer to represent you aggressively in court and make sure your rights are protected. You need to call J. Scott Gun P.A. Attorneys at Law. The link above will take you there. If you think the 2012 Miami Heat were excellent, you should see J. Scott Gun work the law!