Drunk Driving Accident

Trusted drunk driving accident attorneys with over 30 years of experience.

If a drunk driver caused your injuries in Columbia, SC, your case carries legal weight that goes beyond a typical auto accident claim. South Carolina law recognizes that driving while impaired is not a mere lapse in judgment, and victims of these collisions may be eligible for categories of compensation, including punitive damages, that are unavailable in most other personal injury cases.

Woron and Dhillon, LLC has represented drunk driving accident victims across South Carolina for more than 30 years. We handle these cases on contingency, so you owe nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Our Columbia, SC drunk driving accident lawyer offers a free consultation to help you understand every avenue of recovery available to you.

Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Columbia, SC

Why do drunk driving accident claims differ from other car accident cases?

A drunk driving accident claim involves an at-fault driver who was operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol. That fact changes the case in several important ways. First, impaired drivers are almost always found liable because intoxication is a clear breach of the duty of care owed to other motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists. Second, South Carolina allows punitive damages in cases where the defendant’s conduct was willful, reckless, or wanton. Choosing to drive drunk regularly meets that standard. Third, there may be additional liable parties. If the driver was overserved at a bar or restaurant, a dram shop claim against the establishment can provide a second source of recovery. These layers of liability set drunk driving cases apart from a typical collision.

Types of Drunk Driving Accident Cases We Handle in Columbia

Impaired drivers cause collisions in every setting imaginable. The type of crash varies, but the underlying cause remains the same: a driver who had no business being on the road. Below are the types of drunk driving accident cases our firm handles in Columbia, SC.

• Car accidents. Drunk drivers frequently run red lights, drift across center lines, and fail to brake in time. These behaviors cause rear-end collisions, head-on crashes, and T-bone impacts at intersections. Because impaired drivers often travel at higher speeds and react more slowly, the resulting injuries tend to be severe.
• Truck accidents. A commercial driver operating an 18-wheeler while impaired creates a hazard. Federal regulations prohibit commercial drivers from operating with a BAC above 0.04%, half the legal limit for other motorists. Crashes involving impaired truck drivers frequently produce catastrophic or fatal injuries.
• Motorcycle accidents. Motorcyclists are already vulnerable on the road. When an impaired driver fails to check mirrors, yield the right of way, or maintain lane position, the motorcyclist bears the full force of the impact with no structural protection.
• Pedestrian accidents. Drunk drivers who leave the roadway, run stop signs, or ignore crosswalks put pedestrians at serious risk. According to NHTSA traffic data, alcohol-impaired driving remains a leading factor in pedestrian fatalities nationwide.
• Bicycle accidents. Cyclists sharing the road with an impaired driver face heightened danger because drunk drivers are less likely to see them, give adequate clearance, or respond to changing traffic conditions.
• Hit-and-run DUI crashes. Impaired drivers are more likely to flee the scene after a collision. When this happens, the investigation becomes more complex, but law enforcement often locates the driver through witness accounts, surveillance footage, and vehicle debris. Dealing with insurance in a hit-and-run DUI scenario may require an uninsured motorist claim while the criminal case proceeds.
• Repeat offender accidents. Drivers with prior DUI convictions who cause another alcohol-related collision face heightened legal exposure. A history of impaired driving is relevant to both the civil case and the argument for punitive damages.
• Wrongful death. When a drunk driving accident is fatal, surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim to recover funeral costs, lost financial support, and loss of companionship. The availability of punitive damages in these cases often increases the total recovery substantially.

Why Choose Woron and Dhillon, LLC for Drunk Driving Accident Cases in Columbia, SC?

Attorneys Who Understand the Full Scope of DUI Injury Claims

Drunk driving accident cases involve a unique intersection of criminal and civil law. While the state prosecutes the impaired driver, our firm pursues the civil claim for damages on your behalf. The criminal case and the civil case run separately, but evidence from one often supports the other.

Brett Woron has spent 14 years trying both civil and criminal cases to verdict. That dual perspective is particularly valuable in drunk driving claims, where understanding how the criminal prosecution unfolds can strengthen the civil case. Brett has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2019 through 2023 and earned his J.D. from the USC School of Law. He is a member of the SC Association for Justice and the Richland County Bar Association.

Amar Dhillon has more than 26 years of personal injury experience, with a strong focus on motor vehicle collision cases, including claims involving impaired drivers. He is licensed to practice in Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Committed to Results

Our firm has helped clients recover millions of dollars in personal injury settlements and verdicts. Our personal injury lawyer in Columbia, SC knows how Richland County courts and regional insurance carriers handle alcohol-related accident claims.

We take drunk driving accident cases on contingency. There is no fee unless we recover money for you.

Drunk Driving Accident Case Overview

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Drunk Driving Accident Cases

Victims of drunk driving accidents in South Carolina can pursue multiple categories of damages. The availability of punitive damages in many of these cases means the total recovery can be significantly higher than in a standard negligence claim.

Economic damages include all financial losses tied to the accident: emergency room treatment, hospitalizations, surgeries, rehabilitation, medication, lost wages, and diminished future earning capacity. Drunk driving collisions frequently cause severe injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage, which means the economic costs can extend across a victim’s entire remaining lifetime.

Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. Juries in drunk driving cases tend to award higher non-economic damages because the defendant’s conduct was a deliberate choice rather than a momentary lapse in attention. The difference between economic and non-economic categories is important during trial because each is presented and calculated differently.

Punitive damages serve a separate purpose. They are designed to punish the defendant and deter similar conduct, not to compensate the victim for specific losses. South Carolina courts have awarded punitive damages in drunk driving cases where the driver’s decision to operate a vehicle while intoxicated demonstrated willful or reckless disregard for the safety of others.

Liability in these cases is usually straightforward on the question of fault. An impaired driver who causes a collision is almost certainly at fault. The more nuanced question is whether additional parties share responsibility. South Carolina’s alcohol service statutes may support a claim against the bar or restaurant that overserved the driver. The state’s comparative negligence rules under S.C. Code § 15-38-15 still apply, meaning your recovery can be reduced if you share any percentage of fault, but only if your share is under 50%.

Important Aspects in Your Drunk Driving Accident Case

A few elements of drunk driving accident cases deserve particular attention. Getting them right early in the process can significantly affect the outcome.

• The impaired driver’s BAC at the time of the crash is a critical piece of evidence. A BAC above 0.08% establishes impairment as a matter of law, but even BAC results below that threshold can support a negligence claim if the driver’s abilities were visibly impaired.
• The criminal case against the drunk driver provides useful evidence for your civil claim. Arrest reports, booking records, field sobriety test results, breathalyzer or blood draw results, and any plea or conviction are all admissible.
• Identifying every potential source of recovery matters. The driver’s auto insurance, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, and a potential dram shop claim against the establishment that served the driver should all be investigated.
• Medical documentation connecting your injuries directly to the collision strengthens your claim against both the driver and any third-party defendants.

Drunk Driving Accident Case Timeline

Drunk driving accident claims follow a general timeline, though the parallel criminal prosecution can affect pacing. Here is the typical progression.

• Seek medical attention immediately. Even if you feel fine at the scene, alcohol-related crashes produce high-force impacts that can cause internal injuries with delayed symptoms. Prompt treatment also creates a medical record that links your injuries to the collision.
• Evidence collection begins right away. We obtain the police report, toxicology results, dashcam or bodycam footage, and witness statements. If a dram shop claim is viable, we send a preservation letter to the establishment to protect surveillance footage and sales records.
• Filing deadlines apply. Under S.C. Code § 15-3-530, you have three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in South Carolina.
• The criminal case may resolve before or during your civil claim. A guilty plea or conviction in the criminal case strengthens your position but is not required for the civil claim to succeed.
• Demand and negotiation follow once damages are fully documented. If settlement discussions do not produce a fair result, we file suit and prepare for trial.

What to Bring to Your Drunk Driving Accident Consultation

Having the right materials ready allows us to assess the strength of your case during the first meeting.

• The police report or crash report from the responding agency, including any DUI arrest information
• Medical records, hospital bills, and documentation of ongoing treatment
• Photographs of the vehicles, the scene, and your injuries
• Your insurance policy information, including uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage details
• Any correspondence from the at-fault driver’s insurance company
• Documentation of missed work and lost income

We will review the facts, explain your options, and provide an honest assessment of what the case may be worth. The consultation is free, and there is no obligation.

South Carolina Legal Resources for Drunk Driving Accidents

Several state and federal resources are available for drunk driving accident victims in South Carolina.

• The South Carolina Legislature publishes the state’s alcohol service and sale statutes under Title 61, including the prohibition on serving visibly intoxicated persons and minors.
• The state’s civil limitations statutes set the three-year filing deadline for personal injury claims, including drunk driving accident cases.
• South Carolina’s comparative fault statute outlines how fault is allocated among parties when more than one person or entity contributed to the plaintiff’s injuries.
• NHTSA fatality data through the Fatality Analysis Reporting System provides national and state-level statistics on alcohol-impaired driving crashes.
• The SCDPS crash statistics division publishes annual data on alcohol-related traffic collisions in South Carolina, including breakdowns by county and contributing factors.

Reach Out to Woron and Dhillon, LLC to Schedule a Consultation

If a drunk driver injured you or a family member in Columbia, SC, you may be entitled to compensation that goes beyond what a standard accident claim would provide. Woron and Dhillon, LLC offers free, no-obligation consultations for drunk driving accident victims throughout the Columbia area and across South Carolina. You pay nothing unless we recover on your behalf. Contact our firm today to speak with a drunk driving accident attorney in Columbia about your case.