Orange County Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers

Orange County Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys

Car accidents are a leading cause of accidental injuries and deaths throughout California every year, and most of these incidents happen because of negligence. However, car accidents can also occur from illegal misconduct, and drunk driving is one of the most common examples of this. An Orange County drunk driving accident lawyer is the ideal resource to consult if you or a loved one recently sustained injuries because of another party’s intoxicated driving.

Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys in Orange County, CA

Statistically, those who drive while intoxicated are far more likely to cause serious accidents than drivers who are sober. Impaired judgment and slow reaction times lead to serious accidents with severe injuries. Intoxicated drivers are also more likely to engage in risky behaviors behind the wheel, such as speeding or willfully performing moving violations. They may also become drowsy and fall asleep at the wheel.

More than 30,000 Californians are injured in accidents that are alcohol or drug related. Unfortunately, the statistics are harrowing, and the number of drunk driving accidents continues to rise in California. Despite driving under the influence (DUI) being one of the most often prosecuted criminal offenses in both the state and across the country, the rates of drunk driving accidents seem to increase each year despite the harsh penalties assigned for DUI violations.

Additionally, a criminal case from the state seeks to punish a defendant, not to compensate their victim. The drunk driver who hit you may face fines, jail time, and other penalties as consequences of their actions, but you will need to pursue a civil claim for damages to recover compensation for the damages they inflicted. An Orange County drunk driving accident lawyer is the optimal asset to have on your side for your recovery efforts.

drunk driving accident lawyer orange county ca

Who is Liable in a Drunk Driving Accident?

Numerous parties can be held responsible for drunk driving accidents in the State of California, including:

  • The intoxicated driver can be held responsible for their behavior, and the decision to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. According to California DUI laws, a person will be considered under the influence of alcohol and intoxicated if their blood alcohol concentration is at or above 0.08 percent.
  • Bar/Restaurant Owners or Staff. While bars and restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages in California usually cannot be held liable for the actions of their patrons after leaving their establishment, they can be held liable for an accident caused by a minor who was served alcohol in their establishment and under some other narrow circumstances.
  • Hosts. Just as bar and restaurant owners cannot generally be held liable for the actions of intoxicated drivers after leaving their location, private hosts are generally immune from responsibility for their intoxicated guests.  However, if they provide alcohol to a minor who causes an accident or under certain other narrow circumstances, they may be held liable and responsible.

While the driver who hit you while intoxicated will certainly bear fault for the accident, liability could fall to other parties as well. Your drunk driving accident lawyer can help identify every party liable for your damages and guide you through the process in Orange County, CA, of holding them accountable for your damages.

Filing an Auto Insurance Claim After a Drunk Driving Accident

An injured accident victim’s first avenue of legal recourse after an accident is to file an auto insurance claim against the at-fault driver. State law requires every driver to have auto insurance that meets the minimum coverage requirements of $15,000 or more for bodily injury to one person, $30,000 or more for bodily injury to more than one person in a single accident, and at least $5,000 to cover property damage.

Dealing with insurance companies can be very challenging, but having legal counsel on your side will encourage the insurer to process your claim efficiently and in good faith. The attorneys at Easton & Easton have years of experience dealing with insurance companies on behalf of our clients in Orange County and can ensure you receive a fair settlement. If the at-fault driver does not have insurance or their coverage cannot fully compensate you, we can help you file a civil suit.

Civil Lawsuits Due to Drunk Drivers Negligence

Often, a drunk driver will be prosecuted with criminal charges related to driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. However, the victims of a drunk driving accident have the right to pursue claims against the drunk driver in civil court to recover monetary compensation for their damages.  Additionally, under certain circumstances where the drunk driver has a prior history of drunk driving or exhibited especially reckless behavior at the time of the accident, the victim may be able to pursue punitive damages against the drunk driver.

As a victim, you have the right to immediately file a civil claim without having to wait for a criminal trial to finish. Additionally, a drunk driver does not have to be convicted for the criminal offense of driving while under the influence or driving while intoxicated for there to be a successful civil claim. The level of proof in a civil claim is much lower than a criminal case, and even if a drunk driver is never convicted for criminal offenses, they may still have to pay damages in civil court to victims of the drunk driving accident.

It’s possible for your civil case and the criminal case from the state to interact in some ways. For example, the penalties the defendant faces for conviction are likely to increase due to the fact that they caused harm to a victim. In your civil suit, you could receive far more compensation than you may initially expect to reflect the fact that they broke the law in injuring you. Your attorney can explain any such interactions and help maximize your results.

Types of Damages and Compensation Accident Lawyers Can Help You Recover

If you were involved in a drunk driving car accident, there are many types of damages available to you to recover for your losses with the help of an experienced Orange County personal injury attorney .

  • Compensatory Damages. These damages will include any medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, property damage, and pain and suffering. It’s important to remember you can claim compensation for your immediate and future economic losses resulting from the accident. Anything you cannot recover through insurance can be cited in your personal injury claim.
  • Punitive Damages. Punitive damages are established to punish the willful disregard of other’s safety. If the drunk driver has a prior history of drunk driving or exhibited especially reckless behavior at the time of the accident, you may be able to recover punitive damages from the drunk driver.
  • Wrongful Death. According to the law, if your loved one is killed in a drunk driving accident, the closest surviving relative will be able to file a wrongful death suit to recover damages such as funeral expenses, medical bills, lost future income, property damages, mental pain, and loss of care and services.

Economic damages in your case may be straightforward, but non-economic damages are more subjective. State law allows a plaintiff in a personal injury case to seek compensation for their physical pain, emotional suffering, and diminished ability to enjoy life caused by the defendant’s actions. There is no limit to how much the plaintiff can claim, so this could form the bulk of their case award if they suffered severe injuries.

Ultimately, you could be entitled to a far greater recovery than you initially expected, and a good attorney can help accurately calculate the full extent of the damages you can seek from the defendant in your claim. The attorneys at Easton & Easton approach every drunk driving accident claim we accept with the goal of holding the defendant fully accountable for the harm they have caused.

FAQs

Q: Will a Drunk Driver Go to Jail for Causing an Accident?

A: Penalties for DUI offenses escalate based on the severity of an offense and whether the defendant has a record of recent DUI violations. Jail time is likely if they have at least one prior DUI conviction on their record and/or they caused an accident resulting in bodily harm. If a DUI driver caused great bodily injury or death, they are likely to face felony prosecution and incarceration in state prison.

Q: How Is Pain and Suffering Calculated in a Vehicle Accident Case?

A: State law does not uphold a specific formula for calculating pain and suffering in a civil suit. This means a plaintiff has the right to seek as much as they believe to be appropriate to reflect the severity of the harm they experienced. Your Orange County drunk driving accident lawyer may seek an amount based on the overall severity of your condition following the accident and/or the length of time it will likely take for you to recover from your injuries.

Q: What Happens if a Drunk Driving Accident Causes Permanent Harm?

A: It’s possible for any vehicle accident to result in catastrophic injuries, some of which can leave victims permanently disabled in various ways. In this situation, you have the right to seek full compensation for both immediate and future economic losses related to your injury, as well as compensation for your physical pain, psychological distress, and diminished quality of life caused by the defendant’s actions.

Q: Will I Win More Compensation if I Hire Legal Representation for My Case?

A: An experienced Orange County drunk driving accident lawyer can significantly improve the quality of your final case award. They will know all the various avenues of recovery that are available to you, some of which you would have likely overlooked on your own. The average person may be able to account for their immediate damages, but an attorney can ensure accurate calculation of projected future losses and determine suitable pain and suffering compensation.

Q: How Much Will It Cost to Hire an Orange County Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer?

A: Many people believe that legal counsel is prohibitively expensive, but the team at Easton & Easton accepts personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis. With this billing arrangement, our client pays no upfront or ongoing attorney fees, only parting with a percentage of their final case award as our fee after we have won their case. There is no fee for our client if we cannot obtain a recovery for them.

drunk driving accident attorney orange county ca

Experienced Orange County, CA Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, over 1,000 deaths occurred due to drunk driving in California each year. Thousands of others suffer personal injuries related to drunk driving accidents.

If you were injured in a drunk driving accident in the State of California, you have the right to compensation. Contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Easton & Easton at 800-461-8259 today.

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Accredited Business Bbb Rating A+

The superior client service Easton & Easton provides has earned the firm an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Best Law Firms Orange County 2020

Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen anew each year since 2014 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as one of the "Best Law Firms" for the Southern California Metro Area.

Reader's Choice 2019 Best Law Firm

Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen by the LA Times Reader's Choice Poll as "The Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" for 2018.

Top 100 Trial Lawyers

Doug and Brian Easton have been selected as Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California each year since 2014 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.

The Best Lawyers in America

Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.

Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California 2016

Brian and Matt Easton were recently honored for their efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client in 2016, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California by TopVerdict.com.

Super Lawyers

Doug and Brian have each been selected by Super Lawyers, an honor given to less than 5% of attorneys. Matt Easton has been selected among Super Lawyers' Up-and-Coming Top 25 in Orange County and Top 100 in Southern Califonia, an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys under 40 years old.

10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms in all of Southern California

Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen as one of the "10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms” in all of Southern California" each year Since 2015 based on client satisfaction — one of the highest honors we could ever hope to achieve.

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Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for 2015

Doug and Matt Easton have each been featured as Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for California since 2015 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.

Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum

Brian and Matt Easton have each earned lifetime appointment to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — The Top Trial Lawyers in AmericaTM through the results achieved for their clients. This is an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys in the United States.

Top Rated Lawyers AV Preeminent

Doug Easton has held the “AV Preeminent” Rating for over 30 years and Matt Easton received this prestigious distinction in 2015. The "AV Preeminent" rating is the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, and is based on the legal profession’s oldest peer review rating system, dating back to 1887.

10 Best 2015 Client Satisfaction

Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been chosen as one of the "10 Best" Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California each year since 2015 based on client satisfaction, an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys - and Easton & Easton houses three of them.

American Board of Trial Advocate

Brian Easton was selected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2015. ABOTA is one of the most premier associations of trial attorneys and judges, requiring a certain number of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board.

The National Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40

Matt Easton has been selected each year since 2014 as one of the Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40 for California by The National Trial Lawyers — an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys.

Avvo Rating Top Attorney Personal Injury

Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.

Nation's Premier Top Ten Attorney Personal Injury

Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 based on their skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews.

Nation's Premier Top Ten Attorney Personal Injury

Matt Easton has been selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys Under 40 in California for 2015 by the National Association of Personal Injury Attorneys — an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys under the age of 40.

Nation's Top One Percent

Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been selected by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel among the Nation's Top One Percent of Attorneys each year since 2017.

Orange County Personal Injury Lawyer | Costa Mesa Auto Accident Attorney | Catastrophic Injuries

“We look for the human story behind every injury or wrongful death. We prepare our cases for trial; reaching out to the jury with the most compelling evidence possible for the best verdict possible. Insurance companies know this and come to the table prepared to negotiate in good faith. Call us to see how we can turn your story into fair compensation.”

Partner W. Douglas Easton

What Our Clients Say

Coming out of my first auto accident as an adult, a very difficult and scary time to navigate and understand, I was so incredibly thankful to have been put in contact with Easton & Easton. I honestly was lost with how to handle paperwork, doctors, medical costs and what next steps were, and from the moment I spoke with Travis Easton and my case manager Katie, my mind was put at ease. They have made the entire process stress free for me as I recovered, and I am so grateful for them and their genuine care for my case. Communication from the start has been fantastic, especially making clear what my expectations for the entire process would look like, and I truly believe they have my best interest at heart. 100% I would recommend their firm for anyone that is needing representation! Read more…

Sara McClelland
My experience with Easton & Easton has been amazing! Gabriel Mendoza and my case manager Katie have been so helpful and taken so much stress off my plate. They’ve been super informative and honest and given me very clear expectations. They’ve taken such a terrible experience (my accident) and eased my mind about the outcome. I can’t thank them enough!! Read more…
Caila Dean

Ive used them twice and never been disappointed. Read more…

Lisa Bluemel

The Easton & Easton Law Firm is amazing! The entire team is very helpful and caring. They were always there to answer all my questions. They directed me through the entire process and stayed with me every step of the way. This team is outstanding and were wonderful to work with. Because of the tremendous effort they put on my case they were able to win my difficult personal injury case. I couldn’t have asked for a better law firm to handle my case. They are the Best! Thank you for your patience, professionalism, & guidance! I definitely recommend this firm to handle your case. They go out of their way to fight for your rights. THANK YOU… Read more…

Sofia Sanchez

I could not be more pleased with the services provided by the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton. The senior partner Mr. Easton took the time to meet with me and my wife while I was still in the hospital, where he gave my family hope that there was light at the end of a very long, and very dark tunnel. Matt Easton then worked my case, and because of his dedication, experience and expertise I received a settlement that was larger than I EVER thought possible. It was truly astounding! Matt and the entire team at Easton & Easton looked out for me throughout my recovery, and in the end they gave me my life back. Five stars is not enough. Thanks Matt! Thanks Easton & Easton! Read more…

Dan Campbell

Brian and everyone at Easton and Easton are simply the BEST at what they do. Brian is thorough, easy to talk to, and truly cares about his clients. If you want a family of attorneys with perseverance and determination to fight for you, give Easton and Easton a call. I am glad I did. Read more…

Kyle Keith

What an amazing law firm, talk about going above and beyond to make such a painful experience go so well. I have referred a co-worker and a family member to them as well and everyone had such a great experience as I had. Read more…

Logan Ross

I can’t say enough amazing things about my experience with Travis Easton at Easton & Easton. Travis and his entire team (Katie, Amy, Dee, Michelle, & Araceli) are phenomenal. It provided me a lot of comfort to know I was being so well taken care of. I was especially impressed that every document for the case was perfectly written and specific to me. Nothing was generic, which shows the level of care and attention they put into each individual case. I had such a great experience and would highly recommend Travis Easton and his firm to anyone going through a personal injury. Travis took a bad situation and made the best of it for me. Thank you again, I’m forever grateful!!

-Allee

Ashlee A.

Retaining Easton and Easton was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! From the initial consultation to our final meeting, they were nothing short of exceptional. I was forced to retain their services after firing my previous attorney for not handling the case properly. I dealt with Gabriel and Brian (partner) exclusively throughout the case. They did as promised and were great communicators throughout the entire process. I will recommend them to anyone I know going through a personal injury case. They were ultimately able to untangle the mess caused by my previous lawyer and get a result that I was extremely happy with. Their staff is exceptional as well and provided top notch customer service. Amera was also extremely helpful and easy to deal with as well.

Jeffrey N.

I was in a pretty bad car accident and decided to have Easton & Easton represent me, Travis Easton to be specific. Travis Easton and his paralegal made the whole process effortless. They were so understanding and helpful! The entire thing was a gigantic mess, yet Travis managed to make it run like clockwork. I would HIGHLY recommend Easton & Easton! If you are ever in need of a personal defense attorney Easton & Easton is the firm to represent you!

Mark B.

They are the best law firm in Orange County period. Choosing them to represent me was the best decision of my life.
My life changed in a matter of seconds after a catastrophic spinal cord injury that left me disabled. Brian Easton and his team worked on my case non stop for 3 years and provided me the justice I deserved. I couldn’t have been more content.
I was treated with utmost respect and I felt like I was being represented by a close family member. The responses to my questions were quick and clear. What E & E has done for me is phenomenal.
My sincere thanks to Brian, Matt, Travis, Doug, Gabriel and Amera. They are what they are because of their dedication to provide high quality and professional service to their clients.

Vamsi P.

Brian Easton and his team, Gabe Mendoza and Amera Hajali, helped me during a very difficult time in my life. I had a significant injury from a car accident, and wound up seeking out Easton & Easton when I was having difficulties getting help from my doctors. The Easton team took a lot of stress off of me while acting as my advocates to help me get the care I needed, and saw my case all the way through to a healthy settlement.

They are the BEST!

Jennifer P.

I have nothing but good things to say about Easton and Easton. Brian handled my case professionally and communicated with me effectively throughout the process. He made sure that the process was effortless and as hands free as possible. This was super important for my busy schedule. I highly recommend Easton and Easton if you are ever found in a situation that you need an attorney.

Claudia C.

I would highly recommend Easton & Easton.
I was rear ended on my home and pushed into a semi-truck. I was not sure how to go about even using an attorney.
Brian, Gab and Amera were so good about helping me thru the process and representing me.
I was able to concentrate on getting myself better knowing they had my back, taking care of the details and keeping me informed along the way

Linda M.

The best Law firm by far. I would highly recommend Easton & Easton, LLP and ask for Gabriel Mendoza and staff. He and his colleagues did and exceptional service. Thank you for everything. Job well done!

Ericka P.

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