Nashville Drunk Driving Accident Attorney

Driving while drunk is a serious crime that can have devastating consequences. In Tennessee, drunk driving laws hold intoxicated drivers criminally responsible for their actions with serious penalties including fines and jail time. In turn, the state’s civil laws allow victims of drunk driving accidents to recover compensation for the serious consequences of the accident—known as “damages”.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed by a drunk driver, call a Nashville personal injury lawyer from Selvidge Injury Law today for a free consultation.

Why Choose Us to Represent You in Your Drunk Driving Car Accident Claim

Injuring someone while driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances is a Class-D felony in Tennessee. It also leaves the driver liable for damages to a victim, including economic damages and compensation for pain and suffering. This compensation typically comes from their auto insurance liability coverage.

While it seems like your right to compensation should be clear, insurance companies often dispute claims or assign injury victims an undue percentage of fault for the accident to minimize a payout. Your Nashville drunk driving accident lawyer from Selvidge Injury Law will do the following:

• Utilize our experience of over 10 years to help establish the drunk driver’s liability for your injury claim
• Aggressively represent you throughout the process to make the most compelling case for your full compensation
• Openly and honestly communicate with you throughout the process while pursuing compensation for you as we would for our own family members in the same circumstances

If you’ve been injured by a drunk driver, you shouldn’t have to navigate the legal process alone to recover the compensation you deserve. Let the Nashville car accident attorneys at Selvidge Injury Law help you.

Common Drunk Driving Accident Injuries

Being in a drunk driving accident can cause serious injuries and losses for victims, even resulting in death. Because of the risks associated with drunk driving accidents, all victims should seek immediate medical care right after their accident. This helps document what occurred but also ensures you receive care for unseen injuries that will worsen over time without care.

Some of the most common serious injuries we see as local drunk driving accident attorneys include:

• Head injuries: Head injuries can be devastating, leading to traumatic brain injuries that can limit cognitive function or cause sudden death
• Spinal column injuries: Vertebrae fractures can cause debilitating pain, also potentially allowing damage to the spinal column that leads to the onset of paralysis, chronic nerve pain, and long-term mobility loss
• Lacerations: Wounds to soft tissues can cause damage to muscles, ligaments, and tendons, limiting mobility and causing a high risk for serious bleeding and infections
• Whiplash: The rapid back and forward movement of the head damages the ligaments in the neck, causing serious injury and debilitating pain
• Broken bones: Depending on the severity of the accident, it is not uncommon to see crushing or complex bone fractures that require ongoing medical care, surgery, and rehabilitation
• Amputations: loss of limbs or digits is possible in an accident, though they also may be lost later if injuries worsen
• Internal organ injuries: The impact of the steering wheel can cause internal injuries, including internal bleeding and organ failure.

In each of these situations, there is also the risk of emotional trauma. Injuries like this create a long-term impact on a person’s mental well-being and often lead to the development of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety.

How to Hold the Drunk Driver Accountable

There is often a significant amount of focus on the limitations of holding a drunk driver accountable. Keep several things in mind.

Police will pursue criminal charges against those driving under the influence to the fullest extent of the law. This type of criminal charge and conviction will lead to limitations on the drunk driver, but it does not do anything for you, the victim.

Instead, it is up to you to seek additional steps to pursue legal action against those who cause injury to you. This involves seeking civil action. You can hold them accountable by seeking financial compensation for your losses. This can apply in several ways:

• Economic damages: Seek legal action against the party responsible for your economic damages. This includes medical bills, loss of wages, and property damage.
• Non-economic damages: Non-economic damages help you to recover from the impact of your injuries. They may include losses related to pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and ongoing mental health complications.
• Punitive damages: In some situations, you may receive punitive damages in a drunk driving accident case. A judge may order the payment of punitive damages in cases of intentional or heinous crimes.

It is through these steps that you gain the ability to hold those who did this to you accountable. Because of the risks and the complications of seeking compensation against insurance policies, as well as potentially seeking the assets of the at-fault party, it is critical to work with a skilled Nashville drunk driving accident lawyer. If you were in an accident with an uninsured motorist, call our uninsured motorist accident lawyer in Nashville for legal help.

What Is Dram Shop Liability?

In many situations, a drunk driver’s actions are not only their fault, but other parties could be held accountable as well. Dram shop laws may apply in these situations. Under Tennessee’s laws, a victim of a drunk driving accident may be able to seek a lawsuit against a business if the victim can show that the losses are directly related. This falls under TN Code § 57-10-102 (2023).

For example, dram shop laws apply in situations against a business or a vendor of alcohol in situations where:

• The business sold alcohol to someone who was under 21 or someone who exhibited signs of being visibly intoxicated AND
• The consumption of alcohol was the cause of the drunk driving, leading to the accident and causing injuries.

For example, if a bar is serving alcohol to a person that it knows is intoxicated due to the way the person is moving or acting, and they continue to serve alcohol, they could be liable for that person’s actions. If they also knew the person was getting into a car to drive home or should have known this, the Dram Shop law may apply, allowing the business to be held accountable for the injuries caused to the victim.

These laws’ requirements are not easy to prove. It is critical to prove beyond reasonable doubt (in this situation) that the person’s injuries and losses were the result of the vendor’s decision to continue to serve alcohol. Though challenging, if you believe the business or vendor holds responsibility, you should seek legal support from your premises liability attorney to prove this.

Why You Need a Nashville Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

It is true that the police will seek criminal action against the person responsible for drunk driving. Yet, they will not help you with your civil case. Insurance companies will be aggressive, and you may find it very challenging to recover damages you are fairly owed without the guidance of a Nashville drunk driving accident lawyer. Your attorney can help you in several ways:

• Gather evidence to prove intoxication
• Develop a clear case that outlines dram shop or other party liability if it applies to your situation
• Document all losses you have with clarity, including speaking to the experts to gather details about the complexities of your injuries
• Negotiate with the insurance company to reach a fair settlement
• File a claim in a court of law against the insurance company and any other at-fault party to recover your injury losses if a settlement is not possible

When it comes to such an important case, hiring a Nashville drunk driving accident attorney ensures you receive the care and support you need. You deserve an advocate working just for you.

What Damages Can I Recover in a Drunk Driving Claim in Nashville?

Serious injuries from a drunk driving car or truck accident cause physical pain, temporary or permanent disability, such as a spinal cord injury, and deep emotional trauma. A successful claim to recover damages helps hold the drunk driver accountable while also recovering compensation for the following economic and non-economic damages:

• Medical expenses and future medical costs associated with your injuries
• Lost income and future income loss
• Diminished earning capacity in the future due to disability from the accident
• Pain and suffering
• Any other non-economic damages that apply such as loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, disfigurement, traumatic limb loss, brain damage, PTSD, and other emotional trauma

While financial compensation cannot erase pain, suffering, and trauma, compensation for these intangible damages can substantially increase the settlement or court award you obtain after a drunk driving accident and also provide a sense of justice and accountability.

What Are Punitive Damages in a Nashville Drunk Driving Case?

In Tennessee, the victim of a drunk driving accident may also request punitive damages in their case. This is an amount of money not meant as compensation for the victim but is awarded to the victim as a punishment for the drunk driver and a deterrent for repeat offenses. Speak to Nashville drunk driving accident attorney Adam Selvidge about applying punitive damages in your drunk driving case in Nashville.

Call Our Nashville Drunk Driving Compensation Attorney Today

You shouldn’t be left with the burden of expenses on top of the trauma and pain of an accident caused by a drunk driver. Call the attorneys of Selvidge Injury Law today so we can begin prompt action on your case. If your loved one was killed by a drunk driver, speak to our Nashville drunk driving accident attorney about a wrongful death claim on their behalf.