Hit by a drunk driver in Columbia, MO? Our seasoned drunk driver accident attorneys in Columbia, Missouri can help you recover compensation.
A drunk driving crash is not an accident. Someone chose to get behind the wheel after drinking, and now you are paying for it with hospital visits, missed paychecks, and a car that may not be drivable.
If it happened in Columbia or anywhere in Boone County, Missouri law lets you hold the driver financially responsible, and in many cases a jury can add punitive damages as a penalty for that choice.
At Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers, we handle auto accident cases and nothing else. Brothers John and Paul Beck personally take every case from the first call to the final settlement check, and we serve Columbia clients from our nearby Jefferson City office.
Our Columbia drunk driver accident lawyers know the Columbia Police Department, Boone County courts, and the adjusters you will be dealing with, and you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
What Should I Do After a Drunk Driving Crash in Columbia?
The actions you take immediately after a crash can either strengthen or weaken your claim. Here is what we tell every client.
Call 911 and Go to the Emergency Room
Getting police to the scene ensures the officer can observe the driver’s condition firsthand and administer sobriety testing while the driver is still impaired. Going to the emergency room the same day creates a medical record that links your injuries directly to the crash, evidence no insurance company can easily dismiss.
Request the Columbia Police Department Crash Report
The crash report contains the officer’s observations, any field sobriety or BAC test results, and witness contact information. Request it from the Columbia Police Department’s Records Unit, or let us pull it for you as part of our immediate investigation.
Photograph the Scene and Gather Witness Information
Use your phone to capture both vehicles, the road, your visible injuries, and any details that tell the story, including open containers visible in the other car. Before anyone leaves the scene, collect names and phone numbers from witnesses.
Do Not Give the Insurance Company a Recorded Statement
The drunk driver’s insurance adjuster will call quickly and ask to record your account of the crash. You are not required to give one. These calls are engineered to get you to minimize your injuries or inadvertently accept partial fault, and they will use your words against you.
Call Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers
Our Columbia drunk driver accident attorneys step in immediately to handle all communication with the insurance companies, start gathering evidence, and make sure nothing slips while you focus on your recovery.
Who Pays My Medical Bills and Car Damage?
Most injured victims don’t realize they have access to multiple sources of recovery. We evaluate every available option and pursue all that apply.
- Drunk driver’s liability insurance: The at-fault driver’s bodily injury policy is the primary source, covering medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
- Your MedPay coverage: Medical Payments coverage on your own auto policy pays your early medical expenses immediately, regardless of fault.
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage: If the drunk driver has no policy or not enough, your own UM/UIM coverage fills the gap.
- Deferred-payment medical providers: We connect clients with doctors and clinics who treat you now and wait to be paid until the case closes, with no insurance required.
At the end of your case, we negotiate your medical bills and outstanding liens down before the settlement is paid out, so more of the money stays with you.
Can I Sue a Bar or Restaurant Under Missouri Dram Shop Law?
Missouri’s dram shop statute, codified at RSMo § 537.053, allows an injured victim to hold a bar or restaurant licensed to serve alcohol by the drink liable when clear and convincing evidence shows it knowingly served a visibly intoxicated person, or served someone under 21, who then caused a crash. This claim runs in addition to the one against the driver and can significantly increase the total compensation available to you.
In every case where the driver was leaving a licensed establishment, we move quickly to secure bar receipts, credit card records, and security footage before they are overwritten or discarded.
One pattern our Columbia drunk driver accident lawyers consistently see in DUI injury cases is a driver leaving the downtown bar district around Broadway and Ninth Street late at night.
Bar tabs, card receipts, and point-of-sale timestamps can show how many drinks were served and when, but many businesses keep video for only a short time. A preservation letter sent within days is often what keeps that evidence available.
What If the Drunk Driver Was Uninsured or Fled the Scene?
A hit-and-run or uninsured driver is a gut punch, but it does not leave you without options. Your own Uninsured Motorist coverage becomes the primary compensation source in both situations, and we fight your own insurer just as aggressively as we would fight the at-fault driver’s company.
For hit-and-run cases in Columbia, we move fast by coordinating with local law enforcement, requesting traffic camera footage, and canvassing for any witnesses who saw the vehicle before it disappeared.
Dealing with a hit-and-run or uninsured drunk driver? Contact us to schedule a free consultation, and let us find every path to recovery.
Can I Get Punitive Damages Against a Drunk Driver in Missouri?
Missouri law allows punitive damages when the injured person proves by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with a deliberate and flagrant disregard for the safety of others.
Choosing to drive while intoxicated can meet that standard, depending on facts such as the driver’s BAC, speed, and prior offenses. These damages are not meant to reimburse your losses. They exist to punish the driver for making a reckless, avoidable choice.
Practically speaking, punitive exposure changes the entire dynamic of your case. Insurance companies know that a drunk driving case that goes to trial carries the risk of a large jury verdict, and that knowledge gives us real leverage at the negotiating table. Cases that might otherwise receive a lowball offer get treated very differently when punitive damages are in play.
How Much Is My Drunk Driving Claim Worth?
There is no formula, because every injury and every person’s situation is different. What we can tell you is that drunk driving claims, because of punitive damages exposure and clear liability, often resolve for more than ordinary collision cases.
The final value depends on several factors:
- Medical costs: Emergency treatment, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, and any ongoing care your injuries require.
- Lost income: Wages you’ve missed and any long-term reduction in your ability to earn.
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain, emotional trauma, and the ways this crash has disrupted your daily life.
- Property damage: Vehicle repair or replacement and rental costs while your car is out of service.
- Punitive damages: Additional compensation the court may award to punish the driver’s deliberate recklessness.
“Dear John & Paul, I wish to thank your firm for handling my case which I’m sure was rather difficult. I am very pleased with the outcome. I will recommend your firm to all my friends & family or anyone else I come into contact with. Again thank you very much.” – Gary Bruce, Sikeston, MO
How Do We Prove the Other Driver Was Drunk?
Even when fault seems obvious, insurance companies challenge the evidence. We build your case from multiple angles so there is no room for doubt.
Police Reports and Chemical Test Results
The crash report and any breathalyzer or blood test administered at the scene provide the most direct proof of impairment and anchor the rest of the case.
Bar Receipts and Surveillance Footage
If the driver came from a bar or restaurant, we pull purchase records, credit card transactions, and security footage to establish what they consumed before getting behind the wheel.
Witness Statements and 911 Call Audio
Bystanders who saw the crash or noticed the driver’s behavior before impact can be pivotal. We also obtain 911 call recordings, which often capture immediate firsthand observations about how the driver appeared at the scene.
Event Data Recorder (EDR) Data and Crash Reconstruction
For serious crashes, we work with reconstruction specialists and download the vehicle’s EDR, the automotive equivalent of a black box, to confirm speed, braking inputs, and steering behavior in the seconds before collision.
What we see in Boone County drunk driving cases is that the criminal DWI file often becomes the backbone of the civil claim. Body camera video, breath or blood test results, and the arresting officer’s report from the Columbia Police Department or Boone County Sheriff’s Office can carry a lot of weight.
We track the criminal case closely and request those records as soon as they become available.
How Long Do I Have to File in Missouri?
Under Missouri law, you have five years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. Wrongful death claims carry a three-year deadline.
Waiting anywhere near those limits is a serious mistake. Surveillance footage is typically deleted within days or weeks, witnesses forget critical details, and every month of delay gives the insurance company more time to build its defense. Contact us as soon as you’re able.
What Does It Cost to Hire Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers?
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, meaning our fee is a percentage of what we recover, and only if we win. If we don’t get money for you, you owe us nothing. No retainer, no hourly billing, no invoice.
For clients facing financial pressure right now, our car accident attorneys in Columbia, Missouri also connect you with reputable pre-settlement funding companies so you aren’t forced into a low early settlement just to stay current on your bills.
Why Choose Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers for Your Columbia Drunk Driving Case?
Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers is the only law firm in Missouri that handles exclusively auto accident cases. No premises liability, no workers’ comp, no wills and estates, just traffic crashes. That singular focus means we understand Boone County courts, Columbia-area adjusters, and Missouri auto liability law at a level that general personal injury firms simply don’t reach.
Every case is personally handled by a founding partner, John or Paul Beck, from the first call through the final check. Your file is never passed to a junior associate or a paralegal.
What You Get with Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers | What You Often Get Elsewhere |
Missouri’s only auto-exclusive law firm | General personal injury mixed caseload |
A founding partner handles your case | File handed to junior staff |
Doctors who treat on a lien | Pay out of pocket or find your own care |
We negotiate medical bills at case close | Liens paid in full, cutting your recovery |
Pre-settlement funding connections | Wait it out with no financial support |
What We Do for You From Day One
Our promise is simple: we handle everything so your only job is getting better.
From the moment you call us, we take over all contact with the insurance companies so you never have to deal with an adjuster directly. We secure and preserve crash evidence, connect you with medical providers who treat without upfront payment, and negotiate your medical bills down before the settlement closes. Whether your case resolves at the negotiating table or in front of a Boone County jury, we handle every step personally.
Contact us to schedule a free consultation. No fee unless we win.
FAQ
Can I Still Win My Case If the Drunk Driver Was Not Convicted of DWI?
Yes. Your civil injury claim and the driver’s criminal DWI case are completely separate proceedings. We can prove impairment through crash reports, BAC records, and expert testimony regardless of whether the criminal charge resulted in a conviction.
Can I File a Claim as a Passenger in the Drunk Driver’s Car?
Yes. As an injured passenger, you have the right to pursue compensation from the driver’s liability insurance, even if you chose to ride with them voluntarily. The insurer may argue you share some fault for getting in the car, but under Missouri’s pure comparative fault rule, that can only reduce your recovery, not bar it.
Can I Still Recover Damages If I Was Partly at Fault for the Crash?
Missouri’s pure comparative fault rule allows you to recover compensation even if you share some responsibility for the crash. Your recovery is reduced proportionally by your percentage of fault, but it is not eliminated.
Do I Have to Pay My Doctors Out of Pocket While My Case Is Pending?
No. We connect our clients with medical providers who agree to defer all charges until the case resolves, so you receive the care you need today without paying anything upfront.
Can My Family File a Wrongful Death Claim in Boone County After a Fatal Drunk Driving Crash?
Yes. Certain surviving family members can pursue a wrongful death lawsuit in Missouri to recover compensation for the financial losses and the grief your family has been left to carry.
