What happens to my personal injury claim if the drunk driver is facing criminal charges?

Your personal injury claim proceeds separately from the state’s criminal prosecution of the drunk driver. While the criminal case penalizes the driver with fines, probation, or jail time, your civil claim seeks financial recovery for medical bills and pain. Important factors include: 1. A criminal conviction can provide strong evidence of negligence per se in civil court. 2. Your civil action does not have to wait for criminal sentencing to begin investigation. 3. Criminal restitution rarely covers long-term medical care or catastrophic losses. Jeffrey S. Altman monitors criminal court proceedings while The Altman Law Firm actively builds your civil claim.