Injured on New Year’s Eve? Our San Luis Obispo Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help

Celebrating the start of the new year with family and friends can be a joyous time. Parties and festivities often run until the wee hours of the morning. Unfortunately, many of these celebrations involve drinking. This is why New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest nights of the year for drunk driving accidents and other types of injury accidents.

Every New Year’s Day, drunk driving kills an estimated 54 people. According to AAA, more pedestrians lose their lives on New Year’s Day than on any other day of the year. This is largely due to the number of intoxicated drivers and pedestrians on the road.

In addition to drunk driving accidents, people can suffer a serious injury after playing with fireworks or firearms. New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest fireworks nights of the year. Defective fireworks and lack of safety preparations can result in significant injury.

In addition, many people like to shoot guns during New Year’s Eve celebration. However, stray bullets and accidental shootings can result in significant injuries and fatalities. A study by the CDC found that 80 percent of the celebratory gunfire injuries occurred to the head, feet, and shoulders.

Steps to Take After a New Year’s Eve Accident

If you suffer an injury on New Year’s Eve, it is important to know what to do. The steps you take immediately after your accident will have a direct impact on the amount of compensation you can recover.

• Seek medical help immediately. If you suffer an injury, even a minor one, it is important to seek medical attention. It is important to get your injury looked at and documented. If you decide to file an injury claim, these medical records will be an important part of your claim.
• Call the police. Drunk driving accidents or gunshots need police involvement. Call 911 or the police as soon as the accident occurs. A police report is an important component of an injury claim and can help establish liability.
• Gather evidence. It is important to gather any evidence at the scene of the accident. This includes eyewitness contact information, as well as pictures of the scene. Document anything that may help your case, such as the position of the vehicles and crash damage.
• Contact a lawyer. In many cases, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you recover the money you need after an accident. Insurance companies are not always willing to pay accident victims what they need and deserve. Your lawyer can fight for you and your rights to compensation after another person’s negligence harms you.

It is important to remember that drunk driving accidents are criminal offenses. As such, the police will handle the criminal aspects of your case. They are not concerned with helping you achieve compensation. Their primary concern is to arrest the drunk driver and file the necessary criminal charges against them. That is why you need a personal injury lawyer on your side. Your lawyer will help you file a civil claim against the drunk driver to pay for the harm they have caused.

Contact Our San Luis Obispo Personal Injury Lawyers

If you or someone you love suffered an injury in an accident, we can help. Our San Luis Obispo personal injury lawyers know that injured accident victims often need help collecting the money they need to put their lives back together again. That’s why we work hard for them from the moment they step into our office.

At James McKiernan Lawyers, we offer a free initial consultation to injured accident victims. We listen carefully to your story and help you choose the legal path that is best for you. Call us at 800-200-HURT or fill out our confidential contact form for more information. We are here to help you through this difficult time. Call today!