Raleigh Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer
In the state of North Carolina, drunk driving — legally known as driving while impaired (DWI) — is a serious offense. People who choose to drive while intoxicated put their own lives and the lives of everyone around them at enormous risk. When someone operates a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or higher (the legal limit under North Carolina law), their brain function, thinking, reasoning, and muscle coordination are impaired, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
If you’ve been involved in an accident with a drunk driver anywhere in Raleigh or the surrounding Triangle area, you have the right to hold that person — and potentially others — responsible for your losses.
Tien Law Firm has more than a decade of experience pursuing maximum recovery for drunk driving accident victims across Raleigh, Cary, Garner, Wake Forest, Knightdale, and the greater Triangle. We offer a free, no-risk consultation for victims of DWI accidents, and we work on a contingency-fee basis, which means we are only paid if we successfully recover compensation on your behalf.
Contact Tien Law Firm online or by calling (919) 800-2000 for a free consultation.
Drunk Driving Is a Leading Cause of Serious Crashes in Raleigh
Alcohol-related crashes account for a disproportionate share of North Carolina’s traffic fatalities — roughly a quarter of all deaths on state roads — even though they represent a much smaller percentage of total crashes. A person involved in an alcohol-related crash in North Carolina is significantly more likely to be killed than someone involved in a crash where alcohol isn’t a factor.
The Raleigh Police Department takes the problem seriously enough to operate a dedicated DWI Unit focused on reducing impaired-driving crashes through targeted enforcement, particularly along high-risk corridors and during high-risk hours like weekend nights and holidays.
Where Drunk Driving Accidents Happen in Raleigh
Our attorneys are familiar with the corridors and neighborhoods across Raleigh where impaired-driving crashes occur most often — frequently tied to nightlife districts, late-night commutes, and high-speed roads:
Glenwood Avenue and Glenwood South. As Raleigh’s most concentrated bar and nightlife district, Glenwood South sees a steady stream of pedestrian, rideshare, and vehicle traffic late at night — a combination that makes it one of the city’s highest-risk areas for alcohol-related crashes.
The Raleigh Beltline (I-440 and I-40). High speeds and heavy nighttime traffic make the Beltline a common site for serious impaired-driving crashes, particularly near merge points close to Crabtree Valley and the Capital Boulevard interchange.
Capital Boulevard (US-1/US-401). This busy commercial corridor sees frequent late-night crashes involving impaired drivers, especially near intersections with heavy traffic signal density.
Hillsborough Street. Running past NC State University, this corridor mixes late-night pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle traffic near bars and restaurants, creating elevated risk for impaired-driving pedestrian accidents.
Downtown Raleigh and Fayetteville Street. With a dense concentration of bars and restaurants, downtown Raleigh sees a significant share of the city’s DWI-related crashes, particularly during weekend late-night hours.
Six Forks Road and Wake Forest Road. These North Raleigh and Midtown commuter corridors see impaired-driving crashes tied to nearby restaurant and entertainment districts around North Hills.
We also represent drunk driving accident victims from surrounding communities, including Cary, Garner, Knightdale, Wake Forest, Apex, Morrisville, and throughout Wake County.
Where Raleigh Drunk Driving Accident Victims Get Treated
Serious drunk driving crashes are often treated at one of the Triangle’s major hospital systems, and our attorneys know how each handles trauma and emergency care:
- WakeMed Raleigh Campus (New Bern Avenue) — home to Wake County’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, WakeMed Raleigh treats the most severe injuries from drunk driving and other traumatic crashes throughout the region.
- UNC REX Hospital (Lake Boone Trail) — providing emergency care, orthopedic treatment, and neurology services for serious accident injuries.
- Duke Raleigh Hospital (North Raleigh) — offering emergency and specialized trauma care for North Raleigh residents.
If you or a loved one was treated at any of these facilities after a drunk driving accident, our firm knows how to obtain the medical records and provider testimony needed to fully document and value your claim.
Types of Injuries That Occur in DUI Accidents
There are a lot of injuries that can occur as the result of a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Some possible injuries include:
Broken Bones These injuries can range in severity depending on the nature of the break. A shattered bone will require extensive healing time and may impact the victim’s life forever. If the bone pierces the skin, the victim may experience heavy, even life-threatening blood loss, along with a heightened risk of infection.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) Traumatic brain injuries are caused when a blow to the head disrupts normal brain function. Like broken bones, they can range in severity — a victim may experience only a momentary lapse in consciousness, or they may face long-term disability, including memory loss or functional impairments.
Spinal Cord Injuries Spinal cord injuries can have a lifelong impact on a drunk driving accident victim. Victims may have trouble walking and experience a loss of sensation and movement below the site of the injury. Many people with spinal cord injuries require assistive devices like wheelchairs.
Internal Bleeding Internal bleeding can rapidly become life-threatening, especially because victims don’t always immediately realize they’re bleeding internally. Severe hemorrhaging, which can occur in catastrophic drunk driving accidents, can lead to organ failure, brain injury, or death.
Understanding North Carolina’s Drunk Driving Laws
North Carolina’s DWI statute imposes criminal penalties that scale based on aggravating and mitigating factors, with sentencing levels ranging from Level 5 (least severe) to Level 1A (most severe) — the latter reserved for cases involving extremely high blood alcohol concentration, prior convictions, or serious injury to another person.
It’s important to understand that a criminal DWI conviction is separate from your right to pursue civil compensation. A conviction doesn’t automatically put money in your pocket — but it can serve as powerful evidence supporting your civil claim, since it establishes the driver’s impairment as a matter of record.
Punitive Damages in Drunk Driving Cases
In some cases, a court can award punitive damages — compensation intended to punish the defendant for particularly egregious behavior and discourage similar conduct in the future. Driving while impaired is widely recognized under North Carolina law as the kind of willful or wanton conduct that can justify a punitive damages award.
Notably, North Carolina’s standard cap on punitive damages — generally three times compensatory damages or $250,000, whichever is greater — does not apply in cases involving impaired driving. This means a jury can award punitive damages beyond the usual limit in drunk driving cases, particularly those involving repeat offenders or especially reckless conduct.
Possible Damages You May Recover After a DWI Accident
There is a wide variety of damages you may be entitled to as a result of a DUI accident, although we cannot estimate the value of your claim without first evaluating the details of your case. Types of damages you could recover include:
- Medical costs, such as ambulance rides, hospital stays, surgical procedures, doctor’s examinations, medication, and assistive devices
- Lost wages
- Future wages if you are unable to return to work
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement or dismemberment
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Punitive damages, in cases involving egregious conduct
We may be able to pursue other forms of damages depending on the details of your case.
We May Be Able to Help You File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
In some cases, the worst-case scenario happens, and you lose someone you love. If you lost a loved one due to the negligent actions of an inebriated driver, you may be entitled to compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit. Possible recoverable damages in this situation include:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Medical costs left to the family to recover
- Wages and benefits previously provided by the deceased
- Loss of support and protection
- Loss of consortium
- Pain and suffering
Other forms of damages may be available to your family as well.
Was the Bar or Restaurant Partly Responsible?
In some cases, a bar, restaurant, or other establishment that served alcohol to an intoxicated patron may share responsibility for the crash that followed. North Carolina law creates a statutory claim against establishments that negligently sell alcohol to minors who later cause a crash, and North Carolina courts have also recognized a common law claim against establishments that continue serving a visibly, obviously intoxicated adult who then causes an accident. Identifying every potentially responsible party matters, because it can open up additional sources of insurance coverage beyond the drunk driver’s personal auto policy.
North Carolina’s Time Limit for Filing a DWI Accident Claim
North Carolina General Statutes require anyone who intends to pursue compensation through a personal injury lawsuit to file their claim within three years of the date of the accident, or two years if a death is involved. Different rules may apply for victims who are minors.
If you were involved in a DWI accident and intend to pursue legal action, you must generally do so within these windows, or you will likely be barred from recovering any compensation. Because drunk driving cases often involve a parallel criminal case, it’s especially important to have an attorney monitoring both tracks from the start.
Contact Tien Law Firm online or by calling (919) 800-2000 for a free consultation.
Finding the Best Raleigh DWI Injury Lawyer
We understand how overwhelming a car accident can be, especially if you’re hurt and suffering from severe injuries after being struck by a drunk driver. But you are not alone.
Our team is here to help answer your questions and offer guidance on how you can pursue compensation to recover your losses. Some specific ways we can help include:
- Gathering evidence, including police reports, eyewitness statements, and any surveillance video footage
- Obtaining medical records, doctors’ reports, and statements from medical experts regarding the extent of your injuries in order to calculate the full value of your case
- Monitoring the criminal DWI proceedings and using relevant developments to strengthen your civil claim
- Investigating whether a bar, restaurant, or other party shares responsibility
- Building a strong case to pursue compensation to the full extent of your injuries
- Fighting for your rights in court, if a fair settlement isn’t offered
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sue a drunk driver even if they’re already facing criminal DWI charges? Yes. The criminal case and a civil lawsuit are separate proceedings. You can pursue compensation through a civil claim regardless of the outcome of the criminal case, though a conviction can strengthen your civil claim.
Is there a cap on how much I can recover in a North Carolina drunk driving case? Compensatory damages like medical bills and lost wages aren’t capped. Punitive damages, which are usually capped at the greater of $250,000 or three times compensatory damages, have no cap at all in cases involving impaired driving.
What if the drunk driver who hit me didn’t have insurance? Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may be able to help cover your losses if the at-fault driver had no insurance or insufficient coverage.
Do you represent clients outside of Raleigh? Yes. We represent drunk driving accident victims throughout Raleigh and surrounding communities including Cary, Garner, Knightdale, Wake Forest, Apex, Morrisville, and the rest of Wake County.
How much does it cost to hire a Raleigh drunk driving accident lawyer? Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency-fee basis, so you only pay if we successfully recover compensation for you.
Contact Tien Law Firm
Getting help after a drunk driving accident is easy. Contact Tien Law Firm online or by calling (919) 800-2000 for a free consultation.
This page is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every drunk driving accident case involves unique facts—contact Tien Law Firm at (919) 800-2000 to discuss your specific situation.