All too often partygoers will all pile into a car and head from one party to another or maybe head for home but get into a single-car accident. It may be that the designated driver decided to drink, or maybe they hadn’t planned on getting impaired in the first place.
However, sometimes despite the best of intentions, the impaired driver gets into a crash with a car full of passengers.
Four Hospitalized in DUI Single-Car Accident I Spokane Valley
Police say that an impaired driver went off the freeway in Spokane Valley and injured four passengers in the car. WSP says that the driver was headed eastbound on I-90 and hit a barrier at the Evergreen exit and then went through a chain-link fence.
The accident happened early Monday morning, May 18, 2020, and one of the passengers had a fractured skull and another said he couldn’t feel his hands. They were all transported to Sacrad Heart Hospital in Spokane. The driver has been arrested on charges of DUI and vehicular Assault.
Passenger Liability in DUI Accidents
While we have no idea if the above passengers were impaired, sometimes injured passengers think that because they were drinking too, that they can’t get compensation for their injuries. However, this isn’t the law in Washington state. The law gives the driver of the car a duty to all those around him—including in his car—to operate their vehicle in a safe manner so that others can proceed in safety.
If the driver of the car is impaired and causes an accident, then anyone injured by the driver can claim compensation. Some also think that since impaired driving is illegal, then the insurance won’t cover any damages the driver caused.
This is also untrue as all auto insurance policies will cover the negligent acts of the driver even if s/he is impaired.
If you’ve been injured as a passenger by an impaired driver, talk to an attorney right away. Don’t listen to the insurance adjuster, authorities, or anyone else that tells you that since you were impaired as a passenger, you can’t collect compensation from the driver.
Contact a Spokane Car Accident Lawyer.
Established in Spokane in 1948, Crary, Clark, Domanico, & Chuang, P.S. is committed to providing our clients with the absolute highest quality legal representation. If our Spokane DUI Car Accident Lawyers represent you for your accident case, you have our assurance that we will use our absolute best efforts to win your case. Contact us after any accident resulting in a serious injury for a free, confidential consultation and case evaluation. We will only offer you advice which is in your best interest.
