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What You Should Do After a Drunk Driving Collision

Motor vehicle collisions — and serious and deadly injuries — resulting from impaired driving are extremely common in Louisiana, including in the Shreveport area. According to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, more than 40 percent of collisions that occur in the state are caused in full or in part by alcohol consumption. In other words, more than one-third of all crashes in Louisiana are alcohol-related, and many of those wrecks result in serious and deadly personal injuries. After a collision involving a suspected drunk driver, it can be difficult to know what steps you should take in order to maintain your right to seek compensation and to ensure that all evidence is properly preserved.

Although injuries may be severe enough that you are unable to take certain steps (in which case a lawyer can always help you after the fact), it is essential to consider the following steps in the aftermath of a crash in which you suspect a drunk driver.

Call 911

It is critical to call 911 and to have law enforcement officers respond to the scene of a suspected drunk driving crash. Even if you have witnesses who saw the other driver swerving on the road or exhibiting other signs of intoxication, it is extremely important to have a Shreveport police officer arrive at the scene to take steps that may include administering a breath or chemical test to determine the driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC), arresting the motorist for driving while intoxication (DWI), and filling out a police report that will be relevant for your insurance claim and/or personal injury lawsuit.

Our firm will obtain any relevant police reports and law enforcement records related to your case, so you will not have to worry about that step in the claims process.

Document the Scene of the Drunk Driving Crash Yourself

If you are able to do so — recognizing the mental and physical consequences that can result from being injured in a drunk driving crash — document the scene of the collision as best as you can. Take videos and photographs with your phone, and identify the names and contact information for parties involved in the collision as well as witnesses.

Get Medical Attention As Soon As Possible

Get medical attention as quickly as you can, even if it seems as though your injuries are minor. Many serious injuries in traffic crashes do not always result in immediate symptoms, as the Mayo Clinic explains, so it is critical to be seen as soon as possible so that injuries can be identified and treated.

Your medical reports will be extremely important for your case, and like relevant police reports, our firm will obtain these for you.

Contact Our Shreveport Drunk Driving Injury Attorneys Today

If you were injured in a motor vehicle collision and you suspect a drunk driver caused the crash, it is essential to talk with an attorney to find out about your options for obtaining compensation and holding the impaired driver accountable. One of the experienced Shreveport drunk driving injury lawyers at Rice & Kendig, LLC can speak with you today about your case. We regularly represent clients in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits arising out of drunk driving collisions and injuries, and we are here to help you with your case.

Sources:

lahighwaysafety.org/our-programs/impaired-driving/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20more%20than%2040,impaired%20driving%20fatalities%20was%20299

mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/whiplash/symptoms-causes/syc-20378921

By Rice & Kendig, LLC | Posted on May 21, 2024

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