Greenville Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Clear Guidance After a Greenville Drunk Driving Crash

Being hit by a drunk driver can turn your life upside down in a single moment. You may be facing painful injuries, a wrecked vehicle, time away from work, and constant stress about what comes next. When someone chooses to drive impaired, you shouldn’t have to navigate the fallout alone.

At Smith Born Leventis Taylor & Vega, LLC, we help people in the Greenville area pursue accountability and compensation after serious drunk driving crashes. Our attorneys guide clients through every stage of the claims process so they can focus on healing and rebuilding. We listen closely to your story and explain your options clearly.

Our firm brings more than 100 years of combined experience in personal injury and workers’ compensation law, and we have obtained multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements.

If you’re ready to discuss your situation with a drunk driving accident attorney in Greenville, message us or call  today for a free consultation.

South Carolina Drunk Driving Laws

South Carolina law addresses impaired driving and unlawful alcohol concentrations through several provisions.

BAC levels relevant under different provisions include:

• 0.08% or higher for most drivers
• 0.04% for commercial drivers
• 0.02% for drivers under the age of 21

Depending on the applicable provision and facts, impaired driving or an unlawful alcohol concentration may lead to consequences such as fines, license suspension, or jail time. However, criminal charges are separate from civil liability. Even if a driver isn’t convicted in criminal court, they may still be held financially responsible in a personal injury claim.

A civil claim has its own requirements. It generally examines whether wrongful conduct caused the collision, whether the collision caused injury, and what damages resulted. A pending charge, plea, dismissal, or acquittal doesn’t by itself decide the civil case.

Common Injuries in Drunk Driving Accidents

Drunk driving accidents can involve high speeds or reckless behavior, which may lead to serious injuries such as:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Fractures
• Internal bleeding and organ damage
• Burns and lacerations
• Post-traumatic stress and other emotional trauma

These injuries may require extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care. Our Greenville drunk driving accident lawyers can evaluate documented losses, including how an injury affects work and daily activities.

How to Prove Liability Against a Drunk Driver

To recover compensation after a drunk driving accident, you must show that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused your injuries. Evidence commonly used in these cases includes:

• Police reports and DUI arrest records
• Breath or blood test results
• Witness statements
• Traffic camera or dashcam footage
• Vehicle data and scene documentation
• Medical records and other evidence of injury-related losses

In many cases, evidence of intoxication may support a personal injury claim. We handle investigations, negotiations, filings, hearings, and appeals while explaining the evidence and available options in plain language. A civil claim can rely on the overall evidence even if criminal proceedings are pending, resolved by agreement, or not pursued.

Punitive damages serve a different purpose than compensatory damages. They may be considered in some cases involving reckless conduct, but they depend on the facts, legal standard, and court process.

Dram Shop & Social Host Liability in SC

In some situations, responsibility for a drunk driving accident may extend beyond the impaired driver. South Carolina recognizes dram shop claims in certain circumstances involving alcohol service by licensed establishments.

A bar, restaurant, or business may face a claim when the facts show that it:

• Served alcohol to someone who was already intoxicated
• Served alcohol to a minor who later caused a crash

These alcohol-service liability claims are fact-specific. They can require proof about who provided alcohol, the person’s condition when served, what the provider knew or should have observed, and how the service related to the crash. Claims involving a private host, including those involving an underage drinker, also require careful review under the particular facts and current South Carolina law.

Compensation After a Drunk Driving Accident

Victims of drunk driving accidents in Greenville may seek compensation for both economic and non-economic damages, including:

• Medical expenses and future medical care
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Property damage
• Rehabilitation and therapy costs
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Other case-specific losses

We document losses, evaluate available coverage, and handle negotiations with insurers.

The value of a claim depends on liability evidence, injury severity, medical prognosis, financial losses, available insurance, and other facts. We handle serious injury claims involving disputed responsibility and substantial long-term consequences, including cases in which responsibility is denied or minimized.

What to Do After a Drunk Driving Accident

If you’re involved in a crash with a suspected drunk driver, taking prompt steps can help protect your health and your legal claim:

1. Call 911 and report the accident.
2. Seek medical attention immediately.
3. Document the scene with photos and videos if possible.
4. Obtain contact information from witnesses.
5. Avoid discussing fault at the scene.
6. Contact a Greenville drunk driving accident lawyer as soon as possible.
7. Preserve any records, photographs, and information you receive about the crash.

Video, vehicle, testing, witness, and medical evidence can become harder to obtain over time. We are available by phone, text, and email for a no-obligation consultation without fees or pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Do I Have To File A Claim?

The filing deadline depends on the type of claim, the parties involved, and current South Carolina law. A deadline that applies to one claim may not apply to another, so it’s important to review the facts promptly.

Can I Recover If I Was Partially At Fault?

Possibly. South Carolina follows a comparative fault system, meaning partial fault can reduce your recovery. You may still be able to recover compensation depending on how responsibility is allocated, but any percentage of fault attributed to you can affect the outcome of your claim.

What If The Drunk Driver Doesn’t Have Insurance?

You may still have options through uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, subject to the policy language, notice requirements, and available limits. Other potentially responsible parties may also need to be evaluated under the facts.

Do I Have To Go To Court?

Many drunk driving accident cases are resolved through settlement negotiations. However, litigation may be necessary when the parties can’t reach an appropriate resolution.

How Much Is My Case Worth?

A claim’s value can only be evaluated after reviewing liability, injuries, treatment, lost income, future effects, insurance, and other damages evidence.

Why Injured People Choose Our Firm

People come to us because they want hands-on attention, clear communication, and respect throughout the process.

Our structure is built around injury and workers’ compensation cases, especially those involving catastrophic harm and complex liability. That means our processes, from intake through litigation, are designed for situations where injuries are severe, facts are disputed, or multiple insurance policies may be involved. We have resolved many cases for amounts in the millions of dollars, including matters where responsibility was initially denied or minimized.

Our partners write leading texts on South Carolina workers’ compensation law, teach other lawyers, and help shape regulations. Our attorneys have backgrounds in psychology, military intelligence, academia, and regulatory leadership. These backgrounds inform our investigations, analysis of evidence, and assessment of how judges, juries, and insurers may view a case arising from a drunk-driving crash.

Clients consistently tell us they value communication. We stay in touch by phone, text, or email, provide regular updates, and explain every key step in plain language.

Call  to discuss your Greenville drunk driving injury claim with our team. Your consultation is free.