Injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver in Pine Lawn, MO? For 35+ years our drunk driver accident attorneys in Pine Lawn have helped victims of DUI accidents recover compensation for damages.
When someone chooses to drive drunk in Pine Lawn, they put innocent families at risk on roads like Natural Bridge Avenue, Jennings Station Road, and other local streets.
You deserve compensation for the damage their reckless decision has caused, and understanding your legal rights after a DWI injury helps ensure you receive it.
Our award-winning Pine Lawn drunk driver accident lawyers know how to build strong cases against impaired drivers and pursue every available source of compensation, including claims against establishments that overserved them.
Our Pine Lawn drunk driving accident attorneys work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Why You Need a Attorney After an Accident Caused by a Drunk Driver in Pine Lawn, Missouir
Drunk driving cases are different from regular car accidents. The evidence you need moves fast – bar surveillance footage gets deleted, witnesses forget details, and physical evidence at the crash site disappears. You need someone who knows how to act quickly to preserve what matters most for your case.
The drunk driver will likely face criminal charges, but that’s separate from your right to compensation. Criminal court is about punishment, while your civil case is about getting you the money you need for medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering. These are two completely different legal processes with different goals.
Insurance companies know drunk driving cases often result in large settlements. They’ll work harder to deny or reduce your claim, which is why you need experienced legal representation from day one.
How Our Attorneys Help You With Your Drunk Driver Accident Claim in Pine Lawn
When you hire Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers, we take over every aspect of your legal case while you focus on getting better. Our family-run firm has extensive experience representing clients across Missouri, and we know what it takes to win these cases.
Our Pine Lawn drunk driver accident lawyers start investigating immediately because time is critical in drunk driving cases. Here’s how we build your case:
- Preserve disappearing evidence: We contact bars and restaurants to secure surveillance footage before it’s deleted.
- Gather police evidence: We obtain the arrest report, breathalyzer results, field sobriety test videos, and officer body cam footage.
- Interview witnesses: We speak with everyone who saw the crash or the driver’s behavior before the accident.
- Work with experts: Accident reconstruction specialists help prove how the crash happened and medical experts document your injuries.
- Handle insurance companies: We deal with adjusters so they can’t pressure you into accepting a low settlement.
Proving the Driver Was Impaired in Pine Lawn
To win your case, our legal team at Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers need to prove the other driver was impaired when they hit you. The strongest evidence comes from the police investigation at the scene.
A blood alcohol concentration over 0.08% is clear proof of legal intoxication. Failed field sobriety tests, slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and the smell of alcohol all support impairment. The officer’s observations and any dash cam or body cam footage become crucial evidence.
Even without a breathalyzer test or criminal conviction, we can still prove impairment. Civil cases use a lower standard of proof than criminal cases. We can show impairment through witness statements about erratic driving, bar receipts showing alcohol purchases, and surveillance video from establishments the driver visited before the crash.
Compensation Available After a Pine Lawn DUI Crash
Missouri law allows you to recover full compensation for all the ways this crash has affected your life. The amount depends on your specific injuries, how they’ve impacted your daily life, and the insurance coverage available.
Economic damages cover your financial losses like medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. This includes future medical care if you need ongoing treatment and lost earning capacity if you can’t return to your previous job.
Non-economic damages compensate you for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. These are harder to calculate but just as important as your financial losses.
Punitive damages may be available in drunk driving cases. These are meant to punish the driver for their reckless choice and deter others from driving drunk.
When the Drunk Driver Has No Insurance
Don’t panic if the drunk driver who hit you doesn’t have insurance or fled the scene in a hit-and-run. Missouri requires all drivers to carry Uninsured Motorist coverage, which protects you in exactly these situations.
Your own insurance policy’s UM coverage steps in to pay for your injuries and damages. We help you understand what coverage you have and work to maximize your recovery under these policies.
We also investigate whether the at-fault driver has personal assets that could be used to pay a judgment. Sometimes we can stack coverage from multiple vehicles on your policy to increase the available funds.
Suing Bars and Restaurants in Missouri
Sometimes the establishment that served the drunk driver can be held responsible for your injuries. Missouri’s dram shop law allows claims against bars, restaurants, and liquor stores that serve alcohol to visibly intoxicated customers.
Proving “visible intoxication” requires strong evidence. We investigate by securing:
- Surveillance footage from the establishment
- Credit card receipts showing alcohol purchases
- Witness statements from other customers and employees
- Expert testimony about signs of intoxication
These cases have strict deadlines and complex legal requirements, which is why you need an experienced attorney to handle them properly.
How Criminal DWI Charges Affect Your Case
A criminal conviction helps your civil case, but you don’t need one to recover compensation. Similar to truck accident criminal and civil cases, the criminal case and your injury claim are completely separate legal proceedings with different purposes and standards.
Criminal court requires proof “beyond a reasonable doubt” to convict the driver. Your civil case only needs proof by a “preponderance of the evidence,” which means it’s more likely than not that the driver was impaired. This lower standard makes it easier to win your injury claim even if the criminal case doesn’t result in a conviction.
The criminal case focuses on punishing the driver, while your civil case focuses on getting you the money you need to move forward with your life.
What If You Share Some Fault for the Accident?
Insurance companies often try to blame you partially for the crash to reduce their payout. Missouri’s pure comparative fault rule protects your right to compensation even if you contributed to the accident.
Under this rule, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you were 2% responsible and your damages total $100,000, you’d receive $98,000. Even if you were mostly at fault, you can still recover some compensation.
In drunk driving cases, the impaired driver’s reckless decision usually makes them overwhelmingly responsible. We fight to minimize any fault assigned to you and maximize your recovery.
Missouri’s Time Limits for Filing Claims
You have five years from the accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit in Missouri. Wrongful death claims arising from a fatal car accident must be filed within three years of the death.
Don’t wait to get legal help, even though you have years to file. Critical evidence disappears quickly, and some claims against bars or restaurants have much shorter deadlines. The sooner we start working on your case, the stronger we can make it.
Witness memories fade, surveillance footage gets deleted, and physical evidence at the crash scene can be lost forever. Starting early gives us the best chance to gather everything we need to win your case.
Steps to Take After a Pine Lawn DUI Crash
What you do immediately after being hit by a drunk driver can protect both your health and your legal rights.
Call 911 immediately and request both police and medical assistance. Accept medical evaluation even if you feel okay, as some serious injuries don’t show symptoms right away.
Document everything you can by taking photos of the vehicles, the crash scene, and any visible injuries. Get contact information from witnesses and note any signs that the other driver appears intoxicated.
Avoid giving statements to any insurance company before speaking with an attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained to get you to say things that can be used against you later.
Contact Beck & Beck right away so we can start investigating while evidence is still fresh. We handle all legal matters so you can focus on your recovery.
Why Choose Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers for Pine Lawn DUI Injury Cases
We are the only law firm in Missouri that focuses exclusively on motor vehicle accidents. This specialization gives us deep expertise in drunk driving cases that general practice lawyers simply don’t have.
As a Missouri-based firm with deep ties to the Pine Lawn community, there is a strong understanding of the local police department, the St. Louis County courts where cases are handled, and the hospitals where crash victims receive care.
As a family-run firm, you work directly with experienced attorneys, not case managers or paralegals. We operate on a no-win-no-fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover money for you. Our track record speaks for itself, we’ve recovered over $105 million for clients across Missouri.
Ready for Your Free Case Review?
Being hit by a drunk driver is traumatic, but you don’t have to handle the legal aftermath alone. We’re here to provide immediate help with no upfront costs or obligations.
If you can’t travel due to your injuries, we’ll come to you at home or in the hospital. We can also meet by video call if that’s more convenient. The important thing is getting you the help you need as quickly as possible.
Pine Lawn Drunk Driving Accident FAQs
Can I Still Sue If the Drunk Driver Wasn’t Convicted?
Yes, you can still recover compensation even without a criminal conviction. Civil cases use a lower standard of proof than criminal cases, so we can prove impairment through other evidence like witness statements and police observations.
How Much Time Do I Have to Sue a Bar That Overserved the Driver?
Claims against bars and restaurants often have shorter deadlines than regular injury claims. Some must be filed within months of the accident, which is why immediate legal consultation is critical.
Will My Own Insurance Rates Go Up If I Use Uninsured Motorist Coverage?
No, using your UM coverage should not increase your insurance rates because you weren’t at fault for the accident. This coverage exists specifically to protect you when hit by uninsured drunk drivers.
Can I Recover Punitive Damages in Missouri Drunk Driving Cases?
Yes, Missouri courts frequently award punitive damages in drunk driving cases. These additional damages punish the driver’s reckless behavior and can significantly increase your total recovery.
What If the Drunk Driver Was Also Texting While Driving?
Multiple forms of negligence like drunk driving and texting can strengthen your case and potentially increase your compensation. We investigate all factors that contributed to your crash.
How Do We Prove a Driver Was Visibly Intoxicated at a Bar?
We gather surveillance footage, witness statements from other patrons and staff, receipts showing alcohol purchases, and expert testimony about signs of visible intoxication that should have been apparent to servers.
