At Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., we help injured people and grieving families in Berwyn pursue claims against impaired drivers, and, when the facts support it, bars or restaurants that served alcohol before the crash.
Since 2002, our firm has represented injured clients across Illinois with the kind of responsive, hands-on service people need after a serious collision. Our Berwyn drunk driving accident lawyers bring 75 years of combined experience and have recovered more than $100 million.
To talk with a Berwyn car accident lawyer, contact us for a free consultation and learn why so many injured people Choose Charlie.
Your Rights After a Drunk Driving Collision
Illinois civil law allows you to seek compensation from an impaired driver when that driver’s conduct caused your injuries. A DUI arrest, citation, breath test, blood test, or officer testimony can support your claim, but you do not need to wait for a criminal conviction before pursuing a civil injury claim.
The criminal case and the civil claim serve different purposes. Prosecutors address punishment under Illinois criminal law. Your civil claim focuses on your medical costs, lost income, pain, daily limitations, and other losses caused by the crash.
You also have the right to have a Berwyn personal injury lawyer communicate with insurers for you. That can be especially valuable when multiple sources of coverage may apply.
Depending on the facts, your rights may include:
- Seeking compensation for medical bills, lost wages, reduced earning ability, pain, suffering, and loss of normal life.
- Filing a wrongful death claim if your loved one was killed.
- Using UM/UIM benefits when the impaired driver has no insurance or too little insurance.
- Pursuing a claim against an alcohol vendor if Illinois dram shop law applies.
- Refusing a quick release before the full extent of your injuries is known.
- Declining broad medical authorizations that give insurers access to unrelated records.
Why Hire a Berwyn Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer?
DUI crash claims can involve a criminal prosecution, a license suspension proceeding, body-cam footage, toxicology records, bar receipts, restaurant surveillance video, rideshare records, cell phone records, and several insurance policies. Valuable evidence can also disappear quickly if no one asks for it in time.
At Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., we handle that work while you focus on your recovery. We investigate fault, identify every available insurance policy, send preservation letters, request police and DUI records, contact witnesses, and work with your medical providers to document your injuries and prognosis.
We also understand that many hardworking people do not have health insurance or do not know they can still get care after a crash. Our firm has relationships with medical providers who may treat injury clients on liens, which means you may be able to receive care now and have payment addressed from a later settlement or recovery.
Drunk Driving Can Happen Anywhere, Including Affluent Communities
Drunk driving is often discussed as a nightlife or bar-district problem, but the data can tell a more complicated story. Our firm published research on affluent areas with high DUI rates to show that impaired driving is not limited to one neighborhood, income level, or type of driver.
That research has real significance for injured people in Berwyn because insurers may try to reduce a DUI crash to a routine accident when it is often not routine.
Alcohol changes reaction time, judgment, braking, speed control, and lane discipline. When an impaired driver chooses to get behind the wheel, the harm can reach families, workers, pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists who did nothing wrong.
Damages You Can Recover
A drunk driving accident claim may include economic and non-economic damages.
- Economic damages are the financial losses tied to the crash. These may include ambulance bills, emergency care, hospital stays, surgery, physical therapy, prescription medication, follow-up visits, future medical care, lost wages, reduced earning ability, transportation costs, and medical equipment.
- Non-economic damages address the personal impact of the collision. In Illinois, these may include pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, disability, and loss of normal life. Loss of normal life refers to the ways an injury limits your routines, hobbies, independence, family responsibilities, and relationships.
Property damage is usually part of the overall insurance process as well. This can include damage to your vehicle, phone, child car seat, clothing, or other personal items.
Punitive damages may be available in some drunk driving injury cases when the facts support punishment and deterrence under Illinois law. However, punitive damages are not automatic, and different rules may apply in death cases.
Our Berwyn drunk driving accident attorneys will review the facts and explain which damages may be available in your claim.
What To Expect When You Choose Charlie
During your free consultation, we ask what happened, what injuries you are dealing with, what treatment you have received, and what concerns are keeping you up at night. We then review possible insurance coverage, medical care options, evidence needs, and legal deadlines.
If you choose to hire us, our team can:
- Send preservation letters to drivers, insurers, businesses, and other evidence holders.
- Gather police reports, DUI records, video footage, and witness statements.
- Review all available insurance coverage.
- Help connect you with medical providers, including lien-based care when available.
- Track medical bills, wage loss, and long-term treatment needs.
- Prepare a detailed settlement demand.
- Negotiate with insurers from a position built on evidence.
- File a lawsuit if the insurer delays, denies responsibility, or undervalues your claim.
Throughout the process, we keep you informed. You will know what we are doing, why we are doing it, and what decisions are ahead.
Talk to a Berwyn Drunk Driving Accident Attorney
Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C. builds DUI crash claims that show the full impact of the collision, including medical care, income loss, pain, family strain, and future needs.
We have served injured people since 2002, recovered more than $100 million, and built a firm known for responsive, client-centered representation. We understand how insurers think, and we know how to press for a result that reflects what you have lost.
If you were injured in a drunk driving collision, contact us for a free consultation. Choose Charlie, and let drunk driving accident attorneys in Berwyn help you take the next step.
