Our Greenville Injury Attorneys Offer Representation to Victims of Drunk Drivers

Everyone in the United States knows about the dangers of driving while intoxicated. Many of us hear about fatal accidents involving drunk drivers and understand that the penalties for drunk driving are severe, and rightly so. Despite this, drunk drivers remain a serious problem on our roadways. Drunk drivers cause serious damage to innocent motorists in car accidents that result in catastrophic personal injury, brain injury and wrongful death. 

Nearly 10,000 people die in accidents involving a drunk driver each year, and the victims are innocent drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians, as well as their families. Often, innocent victims are attentive and following the rules of the road when a drunk driver’s vehicle strikes them unexpectedly. At Edwards & Edwards, we are passionate about protecting victims of drunk driving and helping them obtain justice after an accident. Our Greenville injury lawyers believe it is unfair to force victims to bear the responsibility and financial burdens for another individual’s negligent, reckless or criminal actions.

Individuals are criminally charged for driving while intoxicated (DWI) if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is at least 0.08. In North Carolina, greater penalties may apply if a driver has a BAC of .15 or higher. In addition, large truck and other commercial drivers must obey a stricter legal limit of 0.04 BAC. 

However, driving under the influence is dangerous even when a driver operates a vehicle after consuming a lower amount of alcohol. If alcohol affects the driver’s ability to operate the vehicle, then that driver is negligent. This means that if a driver consumes any alcohol and behaves negligently or recklessly on the road, the driver could be liable for any resulting accident. 

Victims of accidents must know that a DWI charge or conviction is NOT necessary to hold a drunk driver accountable for an accident. The state criminally charges drunk drivers for DWIs, but the state does not pursue financial compensation for victims. Our attorneys are not criminal attorneys, but civil attorneys. We represent individual victims in civil court to hold drunk drivers legally and financially accountable after an accident, regardless of whether the state pursued or convicted the driver of a criminal charge.

It is important to understand that if you were involved in an accident cause by a drunk driver, legal representation is available for you. The dangers of drunk driving are well known, and those who choose to drive while intoxicated must be accountable for their actions and their impact upon others. We work on a contingency fee basis for drunk driving cases, so you and your family do not need any money up front to have a qualified lawyer, and you will not owe us any attorney fees if your case is not successful. We work closely with clients to pursue civil actions against drunk drivers who put everyone’s lives at serious risk. Our Greenville injury attorneys are only a phone call or email away. Contact us by filling out our online form or simply call us directly at (252) 353-1200