ClickCease San Francisco Drunk Driving Accidents | Walkup Firm

San Francisco Drunk Driving Accident Attorney

California Fatal DUI Accident Attorneys

Drunk drivers must be stopped. They cause more than 30 percent of fatal car accidents each year. When a drunk driver causes a needless death, Walkup’s drunk driving auto accident trial lawyers are available to obtain compensatory and punitive damages for your losses.

The California wrongful death drunk driving accident attorneys at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger work on contingent fees for grieving families to help them cope with the legal and financial issues of a drunk driving death.

A Lengthy Record Of Successful Fatal Car Accident Cases

At Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, we have focused our practice on obtaining financial compensation for wrongful death survivors for more than five decades. Our firm was at the forefront of automobile accident wrongful death litigation in the 1960s, and we continue today with the same energy and skill.

We have recovered settlements and judgments totaling in the hundreds of millions of dollars in financial compensation for wrongful death heirs.

The Civil Side Of Fatal Drunk Driving Accidents

California law does not permit the recovery of punitive damages in most wrongful death cases. But drunk driving is one of the exceptions and our lawyers have experience obtaining punitive damages from juries.

When a drunk driver causes death, punitive damages may be recovered to make an example of the wrongdoer.

A civil wrongful death case against the drunk driver and his or her insurance company also has a lower standard of proof compared with a criminal case: a preponderance of the evidence. When the evidence shows that it was more likely than not that the drunk driver’s negligence caused the accident, he or she can be found liable for wrongful death.

Where it is shown by clear and convincing proof that the drunk driver’s conduct was reckless or carried out without regard to the rights and safety of others, punitive damages are appropriate.

When we bring a wrongful death claim after a fatal car accident in San Francisco, we:

  • Quickly secure and preserve evidence of the accident
  • Use well-qualified experts in toxicology, accident reconstruction, human factors and other disciplines to reconstruct the accident
  • Calculate the full extent of your losses: loss of love, affection, companionship and economic support
  • Aggressively prosecute your claim in court and negotiate with the insurance company for fair compensation and if fair compensation cannot be obtained by negotiation, then Walkup lawyers try the matter to a jury to obtain the largest verdict possible

Drunk Driving Lawsuit Case Study

Drunk Driver – $7 Million Jury Verdict

In a case involving a collision on the San Francisco peninsula where a speeding drunk driver hit a car, killing our client’s daughter, Walkup’s drunk driving trial team obtained a jury verdict of both compensatory and punitive damages. The defendant had been drinking at home with a friend and decided to go for a drive to his son’s house. Returning home, he was speeding and inattentive due to his alcohol use. His attorney tried to prove that his blood alcohol level was within the legal limit, but Walkup’s trial team showed through expert evidence that it was above the legal limit.

Contact Our San Francisco Fatal Car Crash Lawyers

If you have lost a loved one in a fatal DUI car accident, call us at (415) 981-7210 or contact us online.

Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger handles wrongful death throughout the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Hayward, Sunnyvale and Concord.