DWI & DUI Accidents

Serious and fatal collisions caused by intoxicated motorists are inexcusable, and result in some of the most heartbreaking tragedies any experienced personal injury or wrongful death law firm can handle.

At Brandt & Sherman, our drunk driving injury lawyers in Lafayette take special care in fighting for justice on behalf of victims and families whose lives are forever changed by the inexcusable irresponsibility of a driver who gets behind the wheel after consuming alcohol or drugs.

About one-third of all fatal traffic accidents are the fault of a drunk driver, resulting in more than 10,000 deaths a year. However, alcohol is not the only risk. Increasingly relaxed regulation of marijuana, and the nationwide opioid epidemic, has put more and more drivers on the road who are under the influence of illegal narcotics. In other cases, legally prescribed narcotics can also result in collisions for which a driver is no less liable.

Insurance companies will always assign these cases to an experienced team of senior staff members, including insurance adjusters, investigators, and legal and medical professionals, who will work from the outset to limit a victim’s ability to collect all of the damages to which he or she is entitled. That’s why early consultation with a Lafayette drunk driving injury lawyer is essential when it comes to protecting your rights and the financial wellbeing of you and your family.

Drunk Driving Injury Claims

To prevail in an injury claim, a victim must prove:

• At-fault party owed a duty of care.
• The duty was breached.
• The breach resulted in the accident.
• The accident resulted in compensable damages.

Every driver owes a duty of care to not get behind the wheel while impaired. Drivers who fail to meet this basic obligation are in breach of duty. That makes these cases a straightforward process of proving causation and damages. However, that does not make them simple matters. In fact, serious personal injury or wrongful death claims resulting from a drunk-driving collision are among the most complex cases a Lafayette injury law firm can handle.

Louisiana’s mandatory minimum insurance law requires motorists to carry just $15,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, and a maximum of $30,000 per accident. The fact that many at-fault drivers who are irresponsible enough to drive under the influence often have only minimum coverage, or no coverage at all, combined with the likelihood of serious or fatal injuries to one or more victims, make identifying any other means of compensation a critical element to making an adequate damage recovery. Other liable parties may include a vehicle’s owner, a bar or restaurant that over-served an at-fault driver, other insurance policies in place on a vehicle or in an at-fault driver’s household, an at-fault driver or vehicle owner’s personal assets, and even a claim against a victim’s own insurance carrier.

At Brandt & Sherman, we believe injury victims and their families deserve to be treated fairly. That’s why our drunk driving injury attorneys offer free and confidential consultations to discuss your rights and accept cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing up front; we are paid based on a percentage of the recovery we make on your behalf.

The experienced injury lawyers and wrongful death attorneys at Brandt & Sherman represent clients and families throughout the Acadiana region, including the parishes of Lafayette, Saint Martin, Acadia, Iberia, St. Landry, St Mary and Vermilion, and the communities of Abbeville, Carencro, New Iberia, Crowley, Opelousas, Eunice, Jennings, Baton Rouge, Baker, Merrydale, Zachary, Scott, Broussard, Milton, Morgan City, Shenandoah, Denham Springs, Lake Charles, Youngsville and Thibodaux.

Contact the Lafayette injury lawyers at Brandt & Sherman today for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call (337) 800-4000.