Elizabeth Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

An Elizabeth Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Who Can Help You Move Forward

A crash caused by a drunk driver can leave you with medical bills piling up, a car you can’t drive, and no paycheck coming in while you recover. You need an Elizabeth personal injury lawyer who can sort out who pays for your losses and push back against an insurance company that wants to pay you as little as possible.

An Elizabeth drunk driving accident lawyer at Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss, LLP can take that work on for you. We have recovered more than $700 million for clients, and Adam D. Cahn was named a New York Law Journal Verdicts Hall of Fame Honoree. That track record means you have someone who knows how to build a strong claim and push it toward a fair result. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. 

Reach out and tell us what happened so we can talk through your next step.

The Drunk Driving Injury Claims Our Elizabeth Attorneys Handle

Drunk driving crashes show up in different ways, and each one changes what your claim needs to prove. Our attorneys handle cases across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, including:

• A legally impaired driver running a red light or stop sign
• A rear-end collision caused by a driver too impaired to brake in time
• A pedestrian or cyclist struck by a driver who had been drinking
• An Uber, Lyft, or taxi passenger hurt by an intoxicated driver
• A hit-and-run crash involving a driver suspected of driving drunk
• A death in the family caused by a drunk driving crash

Adam D. Cahn has been recognized in Best Lawyers since 2021 for personal injury litigation on behalf of plaintiffs. That recognition reflects years spent matching the right evidence to the right legal theory so a drunk driving accident claim gets taken seriously from the start.

What a Drunk Driving Crash Can Cost You in New Jersey?

The costs of a drunk driving crash rarely stop at the hospital bill. Lost wages, future medical care, a totaled car, and the stress of recovering while bills keep arriving all add up fast. Who covers all of that?

Under New Jersey law, you generally have 2 years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit, and missing that window can cost you the right to recover anything at all (New Jersey Statutes Section 2A:14-2).

In some drunk driving cases, the bar or restaurant that kept serving the driver after they were visibly intoxicated can also be held responsible for your injuries under the state’s Dram Shop Act (New Jersey Statutes Section 2A:22A-5). A claim against the bar or restaurant can matter when the driver’s own insurance isn’t enough to cover everything you’ve lost. 

What Helps Prove a Drunk Driving Accident Claim?

Strong drunk driving accident claims usually rest on specific proof: the police report and any DWI charges filed against the driver, blood alcohol test results, witness accounts from the scene, and photos or video from nearby businesses before that footage gets erased.

Medical records connecting your injuries to the crash, and documentation of the income you lost while you recovered, matter just as much. Building a complete picture of what happened and what it cost you takes time. Gathering this evidence early, while witnesses still remember details and surveillance footage still exists, puts you in a stronger position whether your claim settles or heads toward trial.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have a case if the driver was arrested for DWI in Elizabeth?

Possibly. An arrest or DWI charge can support your claim. A criminal case and a civil claim for your injuries are separate, so you don’t have to wait for the criminal case to finish before pursuing compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering (depending on your policy or whether your injury meets the legal threshold).

What if I was partly at fault for the crash?

New Jersey follows a comparative negligence rule, which means your compensation can still hold up even if you share some of the blame, as long as you’re not found more than 50% responsible. If you’re found more at fault than the other driver, you can’t recover damages, so how fault gets divided matters a great deal.

Can I sue the bar or restaurant that served the driver?

Sometimes. New Jersey’s Dram Shop Act allows a claim against a licensed server if staff kept serving someone who was already visibly intoxicated and that service led to your injury. These claims require specific proof, like receipts, surveillance video, or staff and witness statements, so acting quickly matters.

What if the drunk driver doesn’t have enough insurance?

You may be able to use your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage to fill the gap. Most standard New Jersey auto policies include this coverage, and it exists for exactly this situation, when the at-fault driver can’t fully cover what you lost.

Does hiring Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss cost anything upfront?

No. We offer a free consultation, and we handle drunk driving accident cases on a contingency basis, so you don’t pay attorney’s fees unless we recover money for you.

Where will my drunk driving accident claim be handled if the crash happened in Elizabeth?

Civil lawsuits arising from a crash in Elizabeth are generally filed in the Union County Superior Court, located at 2 Broad Street. Knowing the local court and its procedures helps keep a case moving without unnecessary delay.

What happens if the driver is never convicted of DWI in criminal court?

A civil claim does not require a criminal conviction. Even if charges get reduced or dismissed, you can still pursue compensation in civil court by proving the driver was negligent. Civil cases use a lower standard of proof than criminal cases.

Here’s How a Drunk Driving Accident Attorney in Elizabeth Can Help Right Now

You don’t have to deal with insurance companies, missing evidence, or stacking medical bills on your own after a drunk driving crash. An Elizabeth drunk driving accident lawyer at Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss can look at what happened and tell you plainly where you stand. Reach out and schedule a free consultation to talk through your options.