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Crimes

You Can Expect More Than Criminal Penalties for Drunk Driving in San Francisco


— June 8, 2022

An employer may decide that a drunk driving conviction violates their company policy and terminate the worker.


San Francisco, CA – There are DUI laws in San Francisco which apply throughout the state of California. These statutes criminalize driving after consuming illegal drugs or enough alcohol to place the person’s blood alcohol concentration at .08 or above. However, there are several other problems that drunk drivers may have to deal with, especially if they cause an accident while they are under the influence. 

Attorneys near me work with local clients to provide specific advice about these issues based on their personal situation and losses related to the collision. 

Financial responsibility of drunk drivers

San Francisco DUI accident lawyers have the ability to sue those who cause accidents after consuming drugs or alcohol. In civil court, the plaintiff needs to show a deviation from what a reasonable driver would have done in the same situation. This is commonly referred to as negligence, which is a type of legal action that is used in various injury and accident lawsuits. A negligence lawsuit also lists all of the victim’s damages or losses. This generally includes money spent on medical treatment and healthcare from the time of the collision until the victim fully recovers, any lost income or wages due to injuries, and non-economic compensation for pain, suffering, and trauma. In situations where a person is seriously hurt or killed in the accident, these amounts are very large and may even be beyond what an insurance company is willing to pay though liability coverage.  

Insurance increases

Toy car, magnifying glass, paper money sitting on insurance policy; image by Vlad Deep, via Unsplash.com.
Toy car, magnifying glass, paper money sitting on insurance policy; image by Vlad Deep, via Unsplash.com.

Insurance companies base their rates on the relative risk of a person being involved in an accident, which means that they will have to pay for the damage. If San Francisco accident lawyers successfully sue a driver who causes a crash while drunk, this can end up costing the insurance company a substantial sum of money. However, because this will cause the company to re-evaluate the driver’s risk on the roads, they will attempt to increase the person’s insurance rates and pass much of these costs onto them. Even if the driver attempts to switch to another insurance provider, it can be difficult to obtain affordable car insurance with a record of a DUI conviction. 

Lost career opportunities

An employer may decide that a drunk driving conviction violates their company policy and terminate the worker. It is also possible that the person can have great difficulty finding employment afterwards, especially if their job involves driving or operating other sensitive equipment. 

Accident lawyers are available in San Francisco

USAttorneys.com is a site that helps people with their search for an experienced lawyer in their city. Anyone who needs assistance with locating a legal professional can call 800-672-3103 for more information.

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