If you have been injured by a drunk driver in North Miami or another Florida community, you need to act quickly in order to protect yourself and in order to get the medical treatment you may require. If you have been injured, do not hesitate to contact Flaxman Law Group. Our full service law firm can review your legal options with you and can help you get some answers so that you can enjoy peace of mind.
What Should You Do After A DUI Accident?Being involved in a traffic accident is terrifying, and being involved in a drunk driving accident can be especially upsetting. A drunk driver may be too inebriated to offer assistance if you have been injured or they may take steps to avoid liability at the scene.
In some cases, hit and run accidents in North Miami and Florida are actually DUI accidents, where a driver has multiple DUI convictions already and leaves the scene of the crime rather than facing field sobriety tests and other types of testing. If you have been involved in any traffic accident and suspect that drunk driving was involved, you should:
1) Contact police and emergency services immediately.Drunk driving is a crime and you will want to take immediate steps to ensure that police arrest the driver before he or she can harm anyone else and you will want to ensure that police can administer field sobriety tests as well as blood-alcohol test as soon as possible to prove that drunk driving was a factor. Law enforcement may also decide to press charges against the drunk driver. In addition, if anyone has been seriously injured emergency services can provide life-saving treatment at the scene.
2) Exchange contact information with the other driver and secure other documentation.If you have been in a hit and run accident caused by a drunk driver, you may not have a chance to exchange contact information. In these cases, get as much information as you can, including jotting down the license plate number if you remember it or getting the contact information of any witnesses. Take photos of the accident scene if you can. The more information you have, the better your chances of building a strong case, especially if the drunk driver tries contest to DUI charges later on.
3) Take steps to protect yourself.Being in a DUI accident is already stressful, and you don't want to realize after the fact that you made mistakes immediately which have hurt your chances for recovery or compensation. Immediately following a traffic accident, contact police and report the crime. In addition, get medical treatment, even if you're not sure whether you have been injured. Keep in mind that you may not have symptoms right away and still be seriously injured. Err on the side of caution and get treatment. In addition, you want to report the accident immediately to your insurance company and you will want to speak to a personal injury attorney before you make any decisions about your situation. A personal injury attorney can take steps to ensure that you are protected, even if the drunk driver tries to claim later on that they were sober at the time of the crash.
If you need to speak with a personal injury attorney today, contact Flaxman Law Group at 866-352-9626 or through our website to arrange a free accident consultation.