A drunk driving arrest may seem like clear proof that the other driver caused your crash. Unfortunately, many injury victims discover that even when a driver faces DUI charges, the insurance company still disputes the injury claim.
If you were hurt by an impaired driver in Ogden, you may have the right to pursue compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, physical pain, and the ways the crash has affected your daily life. At Parker & McConkie, our Ogden DUI accident lawyers represent people who have been injured by reckless drivers throughout Weber County and across Utah.
Whether the collision happened on Washington Boulevard, Harrison Boulevard, near Historic 25th Street, or along I-15 or I-84, the consequences can follow you long after the damaged vehicles have been removed from the roadway. We understand how to build strong DUI accident cases and hold negligent drivers accountable through insurance claims, litigation, and trial when necessary.
Call (801) 508-6556 for a free consultation with our team today.
Why Choose Parker & McConkie for Your Ogden DUI Accident Case?
Drunk driving crashes involve different issues than many other motor vehicle accidents. The facts may appear straightforward, but that does not mean the insurance company will immediately offer fair compensation.
At Parker & McConkie, our team has represented injured Utah residents for more than 45 years, and during that time, we have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients, including substantial recoveries in serious motor vehicle accident cases.
Some of our results include these recoveries:
- $1.68 million - auto accident
- $1.1 million - auto accident
- $1.875 million - road rage incident
- $650,000 - auto-pedestrian accident
- Multiple seven-figure recoveries in catastrophic injury cases
While past results do not guarantee future outcomes, they demonstrate our commitment to pursuing meaningful recoveries for our injured clients.
When you work with our firm, we can:
- Obtain evidence from both the accident investigation and the DUI investigation
- Review police reports, body camera footage, and witness statements
- Analyze how the crash occurred and who should be held responsible
- Calculate your current and future damages
- Negotiate with insurance carriers and defense attorneys for you
- File a lawsuit if settlement discussions fail
- Prepare your case for trial and present it to a jury if necessary
Many law firms focus only on investigation and settlement. You deserve to know what could happen after that. If an insurance company refuses to properly value your claim, we can move forward with litigation, conduct discovery, question witnesses under oath, retain experts, and advocate for you in court.
Why DUI Accident Claims Are Different From Ordinary Car Accident Cases
Many crashes result from negligent mistakes. DUI accidents result from a driver making the conscious decision to operate a vehicle after consuming alcohol or drugs. That distinction changes how we prepare the case.
Jurors tend to view impaired driving differently from simple negligence because the risks are well known. Drivers understand that alcohol and drugs can affect their reaction time, judgment, coordination, and decision-making. Despite that knowledge, some individuals still choose to get behind the wheel.
At the same time, the impaired driver may be charged with a DUI criminal offense. However, an arrest or conviction does not resolve your injury claim. Criminal and civil cases are controlled by different parties and serve different purposes.
The criminal case is filed by the government and seeks to punish a driver for violating the law. You may file a civil claim that focuses on how the crash affected your life and what compensation may be necessary to address your losses.
How Do Criminal DUI Charges Affect My Case?
One of the most common questions people ask is whether they must wait for the criminal case to conclude before pursuing compensation. In most situations, the answer is no.
The criminal prosecution and your civil injury claim can proceed simultaneously. A prosecutor represents the government in the criminal case. Our personal injury attorneys can represent your interests in the civil claim.
Although the two cases are separate, the evidence developed during the criminal case may strengthen your injury claim. We may be able to use:
- Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test results
- Field sobriety test results
- Police officer observations
- Dash camera and body camera footage
- Admissions made by the driver
- Witness testimony
- Criminal court records
While a criminal conviction can be helpful evidence, to receive compensation for your injuries, you’ll need to go through the civil process, not the criminal court.
Common Causes of DUI Accidents in Ogden
Alcohol and drugs affect drivers in several ways. Impairment slows reaction times, reduces awareness, affects judgment, and makes it harder to respond appropriately to changing traffic conditions.
These impairments can contribute to crashes involving:
Excessive Speed
An impaired driver may travel well above the speed limit while underestimating the distance required to stop safely. High-speed crashes frequently cause catastrophic injuries.
Failure to Recognize Hazards
A sober driver may recognize slowing traffic, changing signals, pedestrians, or cyclists. An impaired driver may notice those hazards too late to avoid a collision.
Wrong-Way Driving
Some of the most severe DUI crashes occur when a driver goes the wrong way on a roadway or freeway. These collisions can result in head-on impacts.
Drifting Between Lanes
Alcohol frequently affects coordination and concentration. This can cause a vehicle to drift across lanes and strike nearby vehicles.
Delayed Reaction Times
Even when a driver sees a hazard, impairment may delay braking or evasive action long enough for a serious crash to occur.
Serious Injuries Are Often Associated With Drunk Driving Crashes
DUI crashes frequently involve higher speeds and more violent impacts than other accidents. As a result, victims often suffer significant injuries that require extensive treatment and rehabilitation, which leads to large medical bills.
Common injuries include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, fractures, internal injuries, severe soft tissue damage, neck injuries, burns, facial trauma, and permanent disabilities.
Some victims recover within months. Others face years of medical treatment, therapy, and physical limitations. In the most tragic situations, families may lose a loved one in a DUI accident. In those cases, the surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim.
Every injury deserves careful evaluation because the effects can extend well beyond the initial emergency room visit. Our experienced DUI accident attorneys know how to build a solid legal case and fight for the maximum compensation possible in DUI crash cases.
How We Build a Strong DUI Accident Injury Claim
Accident victims sometimes assume that proving the other driver was intoxicated will resolve the claim. In most cases, substantial work remains because the focus can shift from proving driver negligence to proving the victim's damages.
When you partner with our DUI crash attorneys, we work to document:
Your Full Medical Picture
Medical records only tell part of the story. We also examine future treatment needs, rehabilitation requirements, specialist recommendations, and long-term limitations to determine your medical future.
Your Lost Income and Career Impact
A serious injury can affect much more than a few missed paychecks. Your injuries may limit your advancement opportunities, reduce your future earning capacity, or prevent you from returning to the same occupation.
The Impact on Your Daily Life
The effects of a serious crash often reach far beyond medical bills. Pain, mobility restrictions, sleep disruption, anxiety, and reduced independence can significantly affect your quality of life.
Future Losses
Any settlement should account for future consequences whenever possible. Accepting compensation before you fully understand the long-term impact of an injury can create serious financial problems later.
We help everyday people stand up for What's Right.
What Compensation May Be Available After a DUI Accident?
Utah law allows DUI accident victims to seek compensation for both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages address measurable financial losses such as medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, future lost income, and property damage.
Non-economic damages address the human consequences of the crash. Depending on the circumstances, compensation may be available for physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, permanent impairment, and other personal losses.
In some DUI accident cases, punitive damages may also be available. These damages are intended to punish particularly reckless conduct and discourage similar behavior in the future. They are not available in every case, but impaired driving may create circumstances where they are considered.
What If the Insurance Company Tries to Blame You?
Many people assume fault will not be disputed when the other driver is impaired. Unfortunately, the insurance company may argue that you contributed to the crash somehow or made your injuries worse. Even in DUI cases, if you are found partially at fault, it can affect the compensation you receive.
If the defense claims you contributed to the collision, Utah's modified comparative fault rules may apply. Under these laws, you may recover compensation as long as you are less than 50% responsible for the accident. However, your recovery would be reduced according to your percentage of fault.
If you are somehow found 50% or more responsible, you generally cannot recover compensation from the other party.
Because fault directly affects case value, insurance companies often seek opportunities to shift blame and reduce their payments. Our attorneys work to gather evidence that accurately reflects what occurred and push back against unfair attempts to minimize the responsibility of the impaired driver.
What Is the Deadline for Filing a DUI Accident Lawsuit in Utah?
In most situations, the Utah statute of limitations allows four years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. While four years may sound like a long time, important evidence can disappear much sooner. Surveillance footage may be overwritten, witnesses may be difficult to locate, and records can become harder to obtain.
Reach out to our attorneys today to understand your filing obligations. When you partner with our team early, we can start preserving evidence and building your claim to protect your right to pursue compensation.
Can I Afford to Hire an Ogden DUI Accident Attorney?
At Parker & McConkie, we handle DUI accident injury cases on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront attorney fees, retainers, or hourly billing charges. Instead, we are paid only if we successfully recover compensation for you through a settlement or verdict.
We chose this fee arrangement so that all injured people can receive quality legal representation regardless of their current financial circumstances.
How Parker & McConkie Can Help After a Drunk Driving Crash
Successful DUI accident claims require more than proving the other driver was intoxicated.
Our attorneys focus on developing the strongest possible case from beginning to end. That process often starts by gathering evidence from both the crash circumstances and DUI investigations. We review police reports, witness accounts, medical records, video footage, and other available evidence to establish liability and damages.
Once we understand the full impact of the crash, we negotiate directly with insurance companies and defense counsel so you don’t have to. If meaningful settlement discussions are not productive, we can prepare the case for litigation.
The litigation process allows us to obtain additional evidence, conduct depositions, challenge defense arguments, present expert testimony, and ask a judge or jury to award you a fair amount of compensation.
We know that insurance companies often approach negotiations differently when they know the attorneys on the other side are fully prepared for trial. We let adjusters know that we are not afraid to go to court if that’s what it takes to protect our clients.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ogden DUI Accident Claims
Does a DUI conviction automatically mean I win my injury case?
No. A DUI conviction can be powerful evidence, but you must still prove the extent of your injuries and damages. The insurance company may challenge your medical treatment, future losses, or the total value of the claim.
Can I file a claim if the impaired driver was not convicted?
Yes. Civil injury claims use a different legal standard than criminal cases. Even if criminal charges are reduced or dismissed, you may still have a valid personal injury claim.
What if the drunk driver does not have enough insurance?
Additional options may be available depending on your own insurance coverage, including uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Our attorneys can determine all potential sources of recovery.
Can family members recover compensation after a fatal DUI crash?
In many situations, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim under Utah law. These claims can seek compensation for financial and personal losses resulting from the death.
Should I accept the insurance company's first settlement offer?
Serious injuries often involve future medical expenses and losses that are not immediately obvious. Before accepting any settlement, it is important to understand the full impact of your injuries and whether the offer addresses those future needs. Let us review any offers to protect your future rights.
Contact the Ogden DUI Accident Lawyers at Parker & McConkie to Learn More
The criminal justice system addresses the drunk driver's punishment. We bring personal injury claims to fight for what the crash cost you.
If an impaired driver injured you or someone you love, the DUI accident team at Parker & McConkie can evaluate your case, explain your options, and pursue compensation that reflects the true impact of the collision. Whether your case resolves through settlement negotiations or requires litigation and trial, we are prepared to advocate for your interests at every stage.
Call (801) 508-6556 today for a free consultation with an Ogden DUI accident lawyer.