Compensation Claims Involving Drink Driving

Government statistics indicate that there are over 1,000 serious road traffic accidents each year which involve a driver who is over the legal alcohol limit. In addition the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) indicated that in 2011 there were almost 10,000 casualties arising from drink drive accidents.

Should you be involved in a road traffic accident involving a driver who has consumed excessive levels of alcohol it may still be possible to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation. Having said this, the rules differ for passengers in the same vehicle as the negligent driver who is found to have consumed excessive alcohol.

Claims not involving passengers in the same vehicle as the driver:

  • In such circumstances a claim can be brought for personal injury compensation against the driver as with any other road traffic accident. Should the insurers of the negligent driver fail to provide cover, a claim will then proceed against the Motorist Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) on the basis that the vehicle was uninsured.

Passengers in the same vehicle as the Driver:

  • It should still be possible to pursue a successful claim for compensation if you were a passenger in a vehicle driven by someone who had consumed excess alcohol. Compensation may be reduced however for contributory negligence. Any reduction will be dependent upon whether you knew or should have realised that the driver had been drinking and that they had consumed enough alcohol to impair their ability to drive properly.

At Sintons our specialist personal Injury lawyers have a wealth of experience in pursuing road accident compensation claims including those arising from drink driving.

All personal injury claims are pursued on a No Win No Fee basis so you can rest assured that there is no financial risk.

To begin a personal injury compensation claim or obtain further advice with no obligation contact Sintons 24/7.

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