6 Things to Do if You’ve Been Injured in a Wyoming DUI Accident

A motor vehicle accident can cause serious injuries or even deaths. Crashes can happen for many reasons, including careless or distracted driving. But the most difficult ones to accept happen due to intoxication by drugs or alcohol.

Intoxicated drivers expose themselves to liability for any injuries they cause. They also risk incarceration for violating Wyoming’s criminal laws. Read on to learn six things to do if you’ve been injured in a Wyoming DUI accident.

Reporting a DUI Accident in Wyoming

When another driver hits your car, you might not immediately realize you have been in a DUI accident. Until you see the other driver, you do not know whether they were texting while driving, careless, or drunk.

As a result, the first steps you take must focus on you and your legal duties.

1. Stop at the Accident Scene

Under Wyoming law, you must stop at the accident scene. If you fail to stop, prosecutors can charge you with hit-and-run.

When you stop after your crash, you are supposed to:

• Render assistance to anyone injured
• Provide identification
• Exchange insurance information

These duties depend on your condition. If you suffered a catastrophic injury and cannot perform any of these tasks, the law excuses you.

2. Contact the Police

Drivers must contact the police after any crash that causes:

• Death
• Injury
• At least $1,000 in damage
• A vehicle to become disabled

You must contact the city police department if the crash happens within city limits. Outside of city limits, you must contact the nearest county sheriff’s office or the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

3. Cooperate with the Crash Investigation

The police agency with jurisdiction over your crash will dispatch officers to investigate. In the case of a DUI accident, you want the police to test the allegedly intoxicated driver. Consequently, you should:

• Tell the police everything you know and saw
• Explain your reasons for believing the other driver was intoxicated
• Honestly answer any questions they ask you

Remember, you want the police to get a full account of what happened so you have the evidence needed for your injury claim.

The police might ask if you contributed to the cause of the crash. Do not lie to the police. At the same time, you do not need to volunteer information. Answer the questions honestly, but stick to the facts and do not elaborate beyond them.

4. Get a Copy of Your Crash Report

The investigating officers will summarize their investigation in an accident report. This report will help you prove the other driver was intoxicated at the time of your crash.

Seeking Medical Treatment and Documenting Injuries

You should not unduly delay seeking a diagnosis. Delaying could affect your case for injury compensation.

5. See a Doctor

If you need an ambulance, ask the police to call one. If you can transport yourself from the accident scene, try to set an appointment reasonably soon after your crash.

Seeing a doctor helps you in many respects, including:

• Getting a treatment plan so you can start healing
• Finding any hidden injuries, like brain injuries
• Creating a record of your injuries

You can also avoid some adverse consequences. If you do not document your injuries, the defendant and their insurer can accuse you of fabricating or exaggerating them.

Worse yet, if you fail to seek treatment, you may worsen your injuries. As a result, you could face a longer and more difficult recovery. You will also bear some blame for the severity of your injuries. The DUI driver can shift some of the liability to you, thereby reducing their share.

Wyoming DUI Laws

Wyoming’s DUI laws can determine whether the other driver acted negligently in causing your DUI accident. Reviewing these laws will give you the background you need to speak to a DUI accident lawyer.

6. Understand Wyoming DUI Laws

In Wyoming, a driver can commit a DUI in three ways:

• Having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% while in control of a vehicle
• Having a BAC of 0.08% within two hours after being arrested for DUI
• Being incapable of driving safely due to drugs, alcohol, or both

The first two measurements are called “per se” violations. Even if you drive perfectly, you can commit a DUI simply by driving with a BAC over the legal limit.

The third can happen after a DUI accident. The police might test the driver and find they had been drinking but were below the legal limit. If the driver’s actions in the crash suggested their abilities were impaired, they still committed a DUI. For example, if the driver was going the wrong way, the police might still arrest them.

Working with an Attorney to Pursue Compensation

Once you have completed these steps, you can talk to a drunk driver accident attorney about your injuries. The attorney can review your accident report and the medical records from your doctor’s visit. This information will help the lawyer prepare your insurance claim against the DUI driver for injury compensation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Some questions accident victims have after a DUI crash include:

What if the Driver Was Stoned?

Marijuana is an intoxicant that can impair a driver. If the other driver was too stoned to drive safely, they committed a DUI.

Do I Have a Case if I Was Drinking, Too?

Yes, you can pursue an injury claim if the other driver caused the accident, even if you had been drinking, too.

Can I Sue if the Other Driver Was Not Arrested?

Yes. Simply driving with alcohol in a driver’s system might constitute negligence.

Speak to a DUI Accident Attorney About Your Case

After a DUI accident, you could suffer from disabling injuries that require expensive medical treatment and therapy. More importantly, your injuries might prevent you from working. As a result, you might have no way to pay for the healthcare services you need.

A compensation claim can help you recover the resources you deserve from the DUI driver. Contact The Spence Law Firm to discuss your injuries and the compensation we can help you pursue for them.