If you were injured by a drunk driver in Vancouver or Clark County, your civil injury claim is separate from the driver's criminal DUI case. VanWa Legal PLLC helps victims pursue compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and long term losses.
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Being hit by an impaired driver leaves more than physical injuries. There is a particular kind of anger that comes with knowing the crash was entirely preventable, and that anger is valid.
It is easy to assume the criminal case against the driver will take care of everything, but a DUI conviction does not put money toward your medical bills or lost income. The criminal case and your civil injury claim are two separate processes with two separate purposes, and only one of them exists to compensate you.
Evidence in a DUI case can fade or get sealed as the criminal process moves forward, which is why early legal action on the civil side matters just as much as the criminal proceedings do.
The State brings the criminal case against the driver, and its goal is punishment, not compensation for you. Your civil claim is a different matter entirely, filed on your behalf to recover the losses the crash actually caused you.
These two cases can move on separate timelines. Your civil claim does not have to wait for the criminal case to conclude, and in many situations it should not. The standards of proof are different as well, a civil case requires a lower burden of proof than a criminal conviction, which means you may have a strong civil claim even in situations where the criminal case moves slowly or ends in a plea deal.
Evidence gathered for the DUI case, from police reports to breath test results, can still support your civil claim even though the two cases proceed independently.
Evidence from the criminal side of a DUI case often becomes some of the strongest evidence in your civil claim as well.
A documented DUI makes it harder for an insurance company to argue the crash was a simple accident rather than the result of negligence. It can also make comparative fault defenses, where an insurer tries to shift some blame onto you, much harder for them to support.
Dram Shop Liability
When a bar or restaurant serves alcohol to a visibly intoxicated patron, or to a minor, who then causes a crash, that establishment may share liability for the resulting injuries under Washington's dram shop laws.
Surveillance footage, receipts, point of sale records, staff training records, and witness accounts can all help establish that a bar or restaurant kept serving a patron who was clearly too intoxicated to drive.
Surveillance footage and receipts are often kept for a limited time before they are deleted or discarded, which makes an early investigation critical to preserving a dram shop claim.
Common Injuries
Impaired drivers react slower and often cause higher speed, higher impact crashes than a typical collision.
Compensation
*The compensation available depends on the facts of your case,
Insurance Issues
The at fault driver's liability insurance is usually the first source of recovery, but Washington's state minimum coverage limits are often far too low to cover a serious injury caused by a drunk driving crash. That gap is exactly why underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) matters so much in these cases.
Your own PIP coverage typically pays medical bills as treatment happens, regardless of fault. If a bar or restaurant contributed to the crash through overservice, their commercial liability insurance may also come into play, and in the most serious cases, umbrella or excess policies can extend coverage beyond standard limits. Because so many sources of coverage can apply, settling with one insurer too early can close off access to others before the full picture is clear.
What to Do After
Vulnerable Road Users
Pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists face the highest risk of catastrophic or fatal injury when struck by an impaired driver, since they have little to no protection against the force of the impact. These cases often require additional investigation, from tracing the driver's movements before the crash to identifying every business that may have overserved them earlier that night.
Why Choose us
Insight Into DUI Evidence
A clear understanding of how DUI evidence, from BAC results to officer reports, holds up in a civil case.
Courtroom Experience
Trial readiness that carries weight in every settlement conversation.
Injury Victim Focused
Representation centered entirely on your recovery, not the criminal proceedings against the driver.
Local Vancouver Focus
Based in Vancouver and Clark County, with firsthand knowledge of the courts and roads here.
Insurance Negotiation
Skilled at pushing back when a driver or insurer tries to shift blame onto the pedestrian.
No Upfront Fees
You pay nothing unless we win your case.
FAQ
Yes. A drunk driving crash gives rise to a civil injury claim separate from any criminal DUI charges the driver may be facing.
Got some more questions? Send us a message at contact@vanwalegal.com
Contact us
If you were injured by an impaired driver, you deserve compensation that goes beyond whatever happens in the criminal case. Talk to an attorney about your case at no cost, and pay nothing unless we win.
