Ogden Drunk Driving Accident Attorney
Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers in Ogden, Utah
According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, 1,220 people suffered injuries and 36 died in alcohol-related driver accidents in 2016. Drunk drivers caused at least 1,970 collisions or 3.2% of total crashes in Utah. Accidents involving drunk drivers are 4.3 times more likely than other car accidents to be fatal. If you or someone you love has suffered injuries or died in a drunk driving accident in Utah, don’t hesitate to contact an Ogden drunk driving accident attorney at Feller & Wendt, LLC. We will passionately advocate for you.
Utah Drunk Driving Laws
In Utah, driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs is against the law. The maximum blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level for drivers in Utah is 0.08%. Note: As of December 30, 2018, Utah’s legal alcohol limit will drop to 0.05% – the lowest in the country. If a driver is under the age of 21, any trace of alcohol in his/her system could result in a DUI. An of-age driver could be guilty of DUI if a substance has impaired his or her ability to drive, regardless of BAC level. It is up to the courts to decide whether a driver was under the influence and whether this caused the plaintiff’s accident and injuries.
Utah is a no-fault car accident state. This means that, regardless of fault for the crash, injured parties will seek primary recovery through their own insurers. The only time you can file a claim against a driver outside of the no-fault system is in the event of serious injuries, such as broken bones, disabilities, or permanent scars. DUI crashes are often catastrophic events that result in serious to fatal injuries, giving victims a higher chance of success after filing a personal injury lawsuit against the drunk driver. If you have grounds to file an injury claim, you may need help from a car accident lawyer in Ogden.
It’s important to bring a lawsuit on your behalf even if the county has already pressed criminal charges against the drunk driver. A criminal case will result in penalties such as jail time against the offender, but only a civil lawsuit will end in financial compensation for you and your family. You have four years from the date of your DUI accident to file a claim against the at-fault driver. If the county finds the driver guilty of DUI, you may not have to prove negligence during your civil lawsuit. The DUI conviction could be enough for a negligence per se claim, in which a broken law is enough proof of negligence.
Contact a Local Ogden Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Today
Don’t let a drunk driver get away with causing you or your family harm. In Utah, 9% of drunk drivers involved in deadly accidents in 2016 were previous offenders with DUI convictions in the past five years. There is absolutely no excuse for a driver to be operating a vehicle while intoxicated. These reckless drivers deserve the hand of justice. With the help of an aggressive Ogden drunk driving accident attorney at Feller & Wendt, LLC, you can shed light on dangerous drunk driving in the Ogden community and possibly recover for your economic and non-economic losses. Contact us for more information about your drunk driving accident claim.
