Suing drunk drivers for causing injury is part of what we do. Drunk driving is referred to in the law of Idaho as 
driving under the influence (DUI). In other places it is referred to as driving while intoxicated (DWI). Regardless of what you call it, the behavior is a scourge on society. But the truth is alcohol-impaired driving remains a troubling component of our car-centric culture. For example, the Insurance Information Institute reports that over one million drivers are stopped and arrested each year for impaired driving. The CDC keeps some older Idaho drunk driving statistics as well. Those indicate that between 1 and 2 percent of Idaho’s drivers have driven under the influence in the past thirty days.
Criminal Law Does Some Things To Drunk Drivers
Idaho’s criminal justice system is reasonably well-equipped to handle the criminal aspects of a drunk driving accident. Our law includes immediate license suspensions and other administrative penalties as well as criminal sanctions. In Idaho, a first or second offense with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 is a misdemeanor. A second or subsequent offense with BAC equal to .20 is a felony. Similarly 3rd or subsequent offenses are felonies, as are DUI’s that lead to bodily harm or disfigurement. However, the criminal law does not address the heavy financial toll that a serious or fatal drunk driving collision imposes on families and surviving injured victims.
Suing Drunk Drivers In Civil Court Protect Victims
We know that drunk driving collisions leave thousands of people dead and injured in our country annually. One recent analysis published by an insurance website concludes Idaho in the 7th most dangerous state when it comes to drunk driving. Thus, we know that criminal sanctions do not eliminate the dangerous behavior.
Our society agrees that people who cause car accidents while driving drunk acted in, not just a criminal but also a negligent manner. In fact, most agree such behavior is reckless and an extreme deviation from a reasonable standard of conduct. As such, the perpetrator is properly held accountable for the harms and losses, whether physical, emotional or financial, suffered and incurred by their victims. This is the role of the civil court system. To help a victim recover for their personal losses.
Hepworth Holzer’s lawyers handle collision injury cases arising from:
- Alcohol-related crashes and collisions
- Drug-related crashes and collisions
- Driver and passenger injuries
- Third-party liability
- Dram-shop liability
- Habitual drunk drivers and habitual traffic offenders
- Underage drinking and driving
- Reckless driving and speeding
The attorneys with our firm have extensive experience in holding drunk drivers, and also those who inappropriately over serve them, responsible for those actions. In fact, Kurt Holzer was one of the lawyers who obtained the largest dram shop verdict in Idaho history.
Contact Us To Help You
The personal injury lawyers at Hepworth Holzer are here to help injury victims and families in Idaho deal with the consequences of a drunk driving injury. Our main office is located in Boise but our attorneys serve clients throughout the state.
To get a free review of your case and find out more about recovering for the harms and losses imposed on you by a drunk call us at 208-328-6998 . Talk to one of the experienced, quality, attorneys at our firm. Our goal is to help you get back to your life by recovering the damages imposed on you by the drunk driver.