Drunk Driving & DUI Accident Attorneys.

Drunk driving is a serious problem everywhere, and Florida is by no means an exception. As an example, there were 33,625 driving under the influence (DUI) convictions in 2011 in the state of Florida, and fifteen percent occurred in the Clearwater-Tampa-St. Petersburg area in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. In 2009, 20,085 alcohol-related traffic accidents were causing 14,130 injuries and 1,004 deaths. The dangers of drunk driving are indisputable.

Safe driving requires constant awareness of the environment and the ability to react quickly to a given situation. A drunk driver cannot react quickly or appropriately. Accidents involving drunk drivers are therefore often particularly devastating, causing wrongful death or leaving the occupants of the vehicles with paralyzing spinal cord injuries.

If you were injured in an accident and the other driver was ticketed for DUI, it does not mean you can automatically recover compensation for your injuries. The burden is still on you to prove that the accident was caused by the other driver's negligence. The insurance company lawyers may try to convince the jury that your negligence contributed to the accident as well. If they persuade the jury that you were just a little bit at fault, then you will be prevented from recovering the full amount of compensation otherwise due to you. At The Walker Law Group, our experienced DUI accident attorneys can help you today.

Liability of Bar Owners for Serving Drunk Drivers

Do the people who furnish the alcohol to a drunk driver bear any responsibility for the accident? Can a liquor store worker sell alcohol to a customer who drives to the store and is already drunk? What if a bartender fails to "cut off" a customer who has clearly "had enough?"

The general rule in Florida is that a person who sells or furnishes alcoholic beverages to a person who later harms another in a crash is not liable for furnishing the alcohol. There are, however, limited exceptions. A person can be liable for injuries caused by a drunk driver when the person: