Injuries that result from drunk driving collisions are intensely unfair. While the law punishes the offender, the criminal actions can create substantial challenges for injury victims who need to pursue compensation to pay for the expenses related to their injuries. When you bring your concerns to the legal team at Markey & Orsi, you gain a drunk driving accident attorney with the experience needed to navigate through the red tape of the complex claim. We hold drunk drivers responsible for their reckless behavior and demand they pay for the injuries they inflicted on innocent motorists, passengers, and pedestrians. If you have been injured by the negligence of an intoxicated driver, let us help you hold them accountable. Contact Markey & Orsi today.
After a Drunk Driving Accident
Convicted drunk drivers are subject to severe penalties in Maryland. While first offenders do not necessarily face jail time, the courts can sentence them to one year in jail, or even two years if they are caught transporting a minor. Be aware that criminal cases typically take precedence over a personal injury case within the courts. Our experienced Maryland drunk driving accident attorneys understand that you need timely compensation to pay the expenses related to your injuries.
The team at Markey & Orsi knows how to handle the complex issues of such cases, including the following:
- Monitoring the progress of the criminal case against the liable party and working to obtain the field sobriety test results and other evidence that helps establish liability for your claim
- Helping you seek restitution in the sentencing phase after a guilty criminal verdict
- Coordinating your case with the events and outcome of the criminal case
- Using an offender’s admission of guilt in a criminal case as evidence of liability
- Pursuing a claim against the offender’s insurance policy, and identifying every other source of coverage that may apply to your losses
Where the Money Actually Comes From
Drunk driving is treated as negligence rather than an intentional act, so the offender’s liability coverage will ordinarily respond to the claim. That coverage is not unlimited. Maryland requires only modest minimum liability limits, and drivers who are willing to get behind the wheel intoxicated are frequently the drivers carrying the least insurance.
This is why the underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy often matters more than the offender’s. Where the offender’s limits are exhausted, your UM or UIM coverage can be the difference between partial and full recovery, and it is a claim many victims never think to make.
One further point is worth understanding early. Attorneys routinely seek punitive damages in drunk driving cases, and no automobile liability policy covers them. Punitive damages are recoverable from the offender personally.
Injuries Caused by Drunk Drivers
Drunk drivers are also often aggressive drivers, increasing the risk of fatalities and serious injuries in accidents from drunk driving. All too often, victims of drunk driving accidents suffer serious permanent damage, such as the following:
- Traumatic brain injury caused by an impact to the head
- Spinal cord damage that can result in permanent full or partial paralysis
- Permanent scarring
- Fatalities
Each Maryland drunk driving accident lawyer at Markey & Orsi understands that our clients need to focus on the aftermath of these severe accidents. Our attorneys take a holistic approach to the needs of our clients. We take care of the details and can provide other services our clients need to move forward. Let our firm help you find justice so you can focus on recovering.
Contact a Maryland Drunk Driving Accident Attorney
The attorneys at Markey & Orsi have the experience and ability needed to help you obtain the compensation, justice, and peace of mind you deserve after being injured in a drunk driving accident. We understand how challenging the period of time after these accidents can be and are committed to fighting on your behalf. Contact Markey & Orsi today to discuss your case.