Drivers impaired by alcohol continue to be a major problem in Kansas City, Missouri. In 2016, 224 persons lost their life in the state of Missouri due to an alcohol-related crash. Also, and perhaps more surprising, is that over 2,100 people were injured in drunk driving crashes. While these types of drunk driving collision cases are most certainly devastating to friends and family of the victims, they also produce a significant negative impact on the quality of for all of us.
For these reasons, I believe we should be extra-tough on drunk drivers. One of the ways to crack down on drivers in Kansas City who are impaired and cause wrongful death or a serious injury, is by fulling prosecuting civil cases where victims of drunk driving and their families receive maximum awards in their claims against insurance companies who represent drunk drivers.
Aggressive legal representation for victims in the civil courts require that drunk driving accident lawyers prove “aggravated liability”. This requires that proof be shown that the drunk driver acted in reckless disregard causing a potential for significant harm to another. In proving “aggravated liability”, attorneys for victims can not rely solely upon accident scene evidence. They must dig deep in the investigation of the case in order to secure evidence to show that the significant risk associated with the defendant’s conduct.
It is true that juries are much more likely to award maximum compensation when they make the determination that the collision was not an “accident”, but rather a “probability” given the state of intoxication. Secondly, drunk driving accident lawyers must account for all the past, present, and future damages of the victim. This is significantly important in accidents that cause serious injury. In addition to economic loss evidence, the victim’s attorney should present evidence in three major areas, including loss of health, loss of mobility, and loss of quality of life. This will give the best chance for a maximum compensation award.
Doug Horn is a Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer, located in Kansas City, dedicated to the representation of persons injured in motor vehicle collisions accidents across Missouri & Kansas.
