How Does Springfield Personal Injury Lawyers Help You With Alcohol-Related Injury Lawsuits?

Contrary to popular belief, drunk driving cases are not the only cause of alcohol-related civil suits. Alcohol-related injuries are one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the country. The number of alcohol-related deaths in the country is close to 100,000 per year, with only 30 percent of them being caused by drunk driving accidents. Irrespective of the cause of the injury, if a citizen has been injured due to the alcohol-induced negligence of a third party, he or she has every right to file a lawsuit. Here’s how a professional Springfield Personal Injury Lawyer can help such victims win these types of cases.

Understanding Alcohol-Related Injuries

Apart from car accidents, some common sources of alcohol injuries include – slips or trips, bar fights, domestic violence, and the negligence of bar owners in providing their customers with a safe environment. In all of these cases, two legal theories apply - negligence and liability. If your injury has been caused because a third party did something unreasonable or failed to act reasonably, you have the right to seek compensation. After recovering from your injury, you must immediately contact a Springfield Personal Injury Lawyer to know whether your case applies or not.

Legal Terms You Must Know When Dealing With Alcohol-Related Injuries

Firstly, the perpetrator may have a “Duty of Care” towards you. For instance, a driver has a legal obligation to drive responsibly and soberly so that he/she does not cause any harm to other drivers. Another legal theory you may use in court is ‘Negligence.’ This theory can be applied when you can prove that the perpetrator failed to act reasonably or provided negligent conditions that led to your injury. For instance, if you are injured in a bar because the bar owners provided you with a broken seat, they can be sued for ‘Negligence.’ Based on either of these theories, you and your Springfield Personal Injury Lawyer will be tasked with proving their ‘liability’ or degree of accountability in causing your injury. Depending on how liable they can be held in court, you can claim for ‘Damages.’Damages are a sum total of the costs you had to endure for your alcohol-related injury, including - medical bills, lost wages, and non-economic damages for mental pain and suffering.

Proving Your Claim

Being the ‘plaintiff’ or accuser, the ‘burden of evidence’ will entirely lie on you and your Springfield Personal Injury Lawyer’s shoulders. A piece of crucial evidence that usually fast-tracks such cases is a police report. You must inform the police as quickly as possible in case there’s been a bar fight or a car accident. It would help if you also get immediate medical attention. If you wait to get your injuries checked, your claims may be held invalid. Some other forms of evidence include – witness testimonies, photographs, and proof of other damages that you may claim.

Hiring an Attorney

Dealing with insurance companies, opposing lawyers, and all the complications of filing a lawsuit can be challenging, especially for an injured person. It is best to team up with an experienced personal injury lawyer who is willing to take on the case on a contingency basis. To read more Click Here