A drunk driving crash is not an accident in the ordinary sense. Someone chose to get behind the wheel impaired, and that choice can support a civil claim that goes beyond ordinary negligence. The criminal case the state brings is separate from your right to recover compensation, and a criminal conviction is not required for you to be made whole.
Valley Accident Law represents people hurt by impaired drivers across the Phoenix metro. Founder Charles Paglialunga has 29 years of Arizona accident experience, and every case is handled by Charles personally.
Request your free consultation or call 1-602-584-8054.
Arizona allows punitive damages when a driver’s conduct shows a reckless disregard for the safety of others, and driving while impaired often meets that standard. Punitive damages are meant to punish and deter, and they can be awarded on top of compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Under Arizona’s dram shop law (A.R.S. 4-311), a licensed bar or restaurant that serves an obviously intoxicated patron who then causes a crash can share responsibility for the harm. When the at-fault driver has little insurance, an over-serving establishment may be an additional source of recovery. We investigate where the driver was drinking and whether a dram shop claim applies.
Arizona law lets you recover medical bills, future care, lost wages and earning capacity, vehicle damage, and pain and suffering, plus punitive damages in the right case. If a death resulted, we also handle the wrongful death claim. We review every layer of coverage, including your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
You do not have to wait for, or rely on, the outcome of the criminal DUI case to pursue compensation. The two move on different tracks. We coordinate with the criminal process where it helps your civil claim.
Most Arizona injury claims must be filed within two years of the crash. Earlier is always better.
Charles handles every drunk driving case personally. The first consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we recover for you. We have secured verdicts and settlements up to $6.1 million.
Request your free consultation or call 1-602-584-8054.
In a drunk driving crash, fault is rarely as contested as it can be in an ordinary two car collision. A police report, field sobriety results, and a blood or breath test often create a paper trail that supports your claim from the outset. We gather the report, the DUI citation, witness statements, and 911 recordings, and we send preservation letters so dash cam and nearby surveillance footage is not lost before we can obtain it. Even so, the at fault driver’s insurer will still look for ways to limit what they pay, questioning your injuries, your treatment gaps, or your own driving in the moments before impact. Arizona follows a comparative fault rule, so an intoxicated driver can still try to shift some blame onto you. Expect the first offer to undervalue your claim, and expect us to push back with the full evidence file before any number is accepted.
If you were hurt by an impaired driver, our first step is simple. We listen to what happened, review the police report if one exists, and explain what your options actually look like under Arizona law. As a drunk driving accident lawyer in Scottsdale, we handle the insurance calls, the record requests, and the evidence preservation so you can focus on recovering. We build your claim around every driver who may share responsibility, not just the one named on the citation, and we track every medical bill and missed paycheck so nothing gets left out of the demand. There is no obligation tied to a first conversation. The earlier you reach out the more evidence we can preserve, but it’s never too late to find out where you stand.
Often, yes. Arizona allows punitive damages where the conduct shows reckless disregard for others, and impaired driving frequently qualifies.
Possibly, under Arizona’s dram shop law, if a licensed establishment served an obviously intoxicated patron who then caused the crash.
No. Your civil claim is separate and does not depend on a criminal conviction.
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, paid only if we recover for you.
Arizona requires drivers to carry insurance, but many policies fall well short of what a serious injury actually costs. This is where your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage often becomes the primary source of recovery. We review every policy that may apply, including yours, before we ever settle with the at fault driver’s insurer.
Most drunk driving injury claims resolve without a trial. If a lawsuit does need to be filed to protect your claim within Arizona’s deadline, we handle that process and keep you informed at every stage. Going to court is not something you have to navigate on your own.
You can under most circumstances still pursue a claim against the driver’s insurance policy even if you know them personally. The claim is against the insurance coverage, not a personal conflict with someone you care about, and Arizona law does not require you to have been a stranger to the driver.
It depends on how long your medical treatment lasts and how the insurer responds to the evidence we present. Some claims resolve in a matter of months, while more serious injuries take longer because we wait until your treatment is complete to know the full value of your claim.
A civil claim does not depend on an arrest or a DUI charge being filed. We can still investigate the crash independently, using the police report, witness accounts, and toxicology evidence where it exists, to establish that the driver was impaired. An arrest can help but it is not a requirement for you to pursue compensation.