Spending a night at a New Jersey restaurant, tavern, or bar with friends and family can be great fun. But if you intend to drive yourself home at the end of the night, you may make the informed decision to celebrate and enjoy delicious food without finding the need to drink alcohol. Most unfortunately, though, not every person on the road likely used the same good judgment as you. And before you know it, you may find yourself the victim of a drunk driving accident. Well, if this is true, please continue reading to learn how you can recover damages after getting hit by a drunk driver and how an experienced Morris County, New Jersey car accident lawyer at the Macri Law Firm can fight for the full amount of financial compensation you require to heal properly.
Can I recover damages after getting hit by a drunk driver?
If you get hit by a drunk driver and the accident is subsequently due to no fault of your own, then you may seek recovery from their auto insurance policy. This may cover damages up to their chosen policy’s limits.
However, if the drunk driver is uninsured or underinsured, you may have to use the uninsured motorist coverage from your personal auto insurance policy. For this, the state of New Jersey holds a minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person for bodily injury. Then, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 per accident for property damage.
If you have not increased your coverage from this minimum, this may not be enough to cover the full extent of your injuries and damages. This is when you may have to resort to filing a personal injury claim against the negligent drunk driver.
What types of damages are eligible for recovery?
As the plaintiff of this personal injury claim, you must prove successfully that the defendant’s negligence in getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol led directly to your auto accident event and subsequently brought on your injuries, which have now resulted in your having to pay for damages.
That said, you may claim to have incurred economic and non-economic damages alike. Hopefully, the New Jersey civil court judge will order the defendant to compensate you for the following:
- Possible economic damages after a drunk driving accident:
- The cost of your emergency room bill, physical therapy sessions, and other medical expenses.
- The cost of the wages you missed out on and other economic losses while having to rehabilitate.
- The cost of repairing or replacing your damaged vehicle and other damaged personal property.
- Possible non-economic damages after a drunk driving accident:
- The embarrassment you feel from the permanent disfigurement or scarring on your body.
- The effect your serious injuries have had on your performing daily activities you once enjoyed.
- The emotional distress you feel from reliving the accident event over and over again in your head.
If you need recovery urgently, please do not miss another opportunity to schedule an initial consultation with a skilled Parsippany, New Jersey personal injury lawyer from the Macri Law Firm. Contact our firm today.
