Drunk Driving Car Accident Attorney St. Louis

Home > Drunk Driving Car Accident Attorney St. Louis

St. Louis Drunk Driving Car Accident Attorney

St. Louis and Southern Illinois Drunk Driving Car Accident Lawyer

Drunk Driving Car Accident Attorney St. Louis, MO. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident with a selfish, reckless and drunk driver, call Halvorsen Klote Davis right away at 314-451-1314 or contact us for a free discussion and case review. You deserve a drunk driving attorney in your corner immediately, standing beside you and fighting for you and your loved one’s future.

The drunk driving car accident attorney team at Halvorsen Klote Davis has years of experience handling drunk driving accident cases and has won millions of dollars for clients in St. Louis and throughout Missouri and Illinois. Call a drunk driving car accident attorney today at 314-451-1314 or contact us online to start on your road to recovery.

Call 314-451-1314 for a Consultation and Case Review | St. Louis Drunk Driving Car Accident Attorney.

Drunk Driving Car Accident Resources from Halvorsen Klote Davis in St. Louis, MO

What Are the Drunk Driving Laws and Penalties in My State? | St. Louis Drunk Driving Car Accident Attorney

In both Missouri and Illinois, it is unlawful for a person to drive or be in ”actual physical control” of a motor vehicle:

The two states differ a bit in terms of consequences:

Missouri

First offense: Up to 6 months in jail, fines up to $1,000, a license revocation of 30 days and the possibility of having the ignition interlock device placed on your vehicle.
Second offense: Up to 1 year in jail, fine of up to $2,000, a license revocation of 1 year and the ignition interlock device placed on your vehicle for a minimum of 6 months.
Third offense: Up to 4 years in jail, fine of up to $10,000, a license revocation of 10 years and the ignition interlock device placed on your vehicle for a minimum of 6 months.

Illinois

First offense: Up to 1 year in jail, fines up to $2,500 and a license revocation of 1 year.
Second offense: A range of 5 to 364 days in prison, fines up to $2,500 and a license revocation of 5 years.
Third offense: A range of 10 days to 7 years in prison, fines up to $25,000 and a license revocation of 10 years.

Drivers who make the conscious decision to get behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated are responsible for an average of 10,000 deaths and more than $44 billion in damages every year in the United States. The drunk driving car accident attorney team at HK Law will make sure the liable party is held responsible for your injuries and damages. We look out for our clients every step of the way, making sure they are informed and taken care of from the initial consultation to the conclusion of the verdict or settlement. Call a drunk driving car accident attorney today at 314-451-1314 or contact us.

What are Dram Shop Laws? | St. Louis Drunk Driving Car Accident Attorney

While a drunk driver is clearly liable for your injuries, in some cases your St. Louis drunk driving car accident attorney at HK Law will be able to prove negligence on the part of a bar, restaurant or another licensed alcohol vendor if they overserved the drunk driver. This is commonly referred to as the Dram Shop Rule. The laws concerning dram shops are different in Missouri and Illinois:

Missouri

Missouri Revised Statute §537.053, generally prohibits dram shop liability. There are two important exceptions where you can still make a claim:

Significantly uncoordinated physical action
Significant physical dysfunction

Revised Statute §167;537.053 also states that a blood alcohol content above .08% alone is not prima facie, or legally sufficient to support liability. You and your drunk driving accident lawyers will have to prove the establishment and their employees saw physical impairment, such as:

Stumbling or falling
Slurring when they talk
Spilling their drink
Knocking objects or other people over
Significantly impaired motor movements

Illinois

Illinois’s Dram Shop Law is unusual in that the person who caused you injury did not have to be “visibly intoxicated” in order for a vendor to be found liable. 235 ILCS 5/6-21, the Illinois Liquor Control Act, allows an injured person to make a claim against a licensed liquor vendor if:

A vendor-patron relationship existed, meaning you can prove that the vendor sold the drunk driver alcohol.
You can prove that the alcohol sold by the vendor contributed to the drunk driver’s intoxication.
You can prove that the driver’s intoxication was the proximate cause of your injuries.

Each year, the Illinois Office of Comptroller is required to set liability limits for Dram Shop claims. As of January 20, 2022 those limits are:

$77,787.30 for each person incurring damages
$95,073.37 per person when an injury or death resulted in either loss of support or loss of society.

When you hire a St. Louis-based drunk driving car accident attorney at Halvorsen Klote Davis, we will conduct a full investigation of your case and find out if the bar or restaurant that served the drunk driver is liable for your injuries.

Negligence Per Se in Drunk Driving Accidents | St. Louis Drunk Driving Car Accident Attorney

Negligence per se is a principle in personal injury cases wherein someone is automatically liable if they break the law and cause you injuries. When our St. Louis drunk driving car accident attorneys file a claim against a drunk driver on your behalf, we file a negligence count and a separate “per se” count. In Missouri and Illinois, anyone who drives automatically owes everybody else on the roads a duty of care. That means that if somebody drives drunk, they automatically are liable for your injuries, so long as your St. Louis drunk driving car accident attorneys can prove that the driver caused you injuries.

In addition to drunk driving cases, our drunk driving car accident attorneys also help the injured in St. Louis and Southern Illinois with the following personal injury claims:

St. Louis Drunk Driving Car Accident Attorney | Halvorsen Klote Davis in St. Louis, MO

If you sustained injuries in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, you need to call HK Law at 314-451-1314. You are entitled to pursue compensation for measurable, economic damages like medical treatment, out-of-pocket expenses, replacement services and lost income. You’re also entitled to an amount to compensate for noneconomic damages — emotional distress, physical pain and other damages. An experienced and skilled drunk driving attorney at Halvorsen Klote Davis can help you determine your options.

The drunk driving car accident attorney team of HK Law has dedicated its careers to making sure the injured in Greater St. Louis and Southern Illinois do not have to pay for the negligence of others. When you hire our St. Louis drunk driving car accident attorney, we keep you informed throughout your entire case and are available to answer any questions you have about your case 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Call us today at 314-451-1314 or contact us online for a complimentary consultation. We don’t get paid unless you win.