DUI

If you were injured because someone chose to drink or use drugs and drive, our DUI accident lawyers help you convert turmoil into fair compensation while you focus on healing. Washington recorded 810 traffic deaths in 2023, the most in 33 years, and more than half involved an impaired driver. Preliminary 2024 data show fatalities declining to 731, yet impairment, speed, and distraction still drove 75 percent of deadly crashes. Nationally, alcohol-impaired driving killed 13,524 people in 2022—one every 39 minutes. BFQ Law Washington stands ready to hold those drivers (and the businesses that enabled them) fully accountable.

1. Why DUI Crashes Demand Specialized Advocacy

• Higher medical costs: DUI impacts often involve high-speed, head-on, or run-off-road collisions, leading to severe trauma.
• Multiple liable parties: Bars or restaurants that overserve patrons and social hosts who give alcohol to minors may share financial responsibility under Washington’s dram-shop statute.
• Evidentiary complexity: Crash-scene photographs, BAC results, ignition-interlock data, and surveillance footage can disappear quickly without swift legal action.

2. Fast Facts: Impaired-Driving in Washington

• More than 60 percent of 2024 speed-related deaths also involved impairment.
• Washington lists impairment as its #1 crash killer, ahead of speeding and distraction.
• Nationwide, one drunk-driving death occurred every 42 minutes in 2023, totaling 12,429 lives lost.

3. Understanding Washington DUI Laws

Driving with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher, or while “appreciably affected” by alcohol, cannabis, or any drug, violates RCW 46.61.502. Conviction triggers jail, fines, and license suspension that escalate for repeat offenses. Drivers may apply for an Ignition Interlock License to drive with a breath-test device during suspension.

4. Civil Claim vs. Criminal Case

The state’s criminal prosecution punishes the offender; your civil action seeks money damages. Even if prosecutors fail to convict, you can sue under negligence principles.

Key Deadlines

Most personal-injury and wrongful-death suits must be filed within three years of the crash per RCW 4.16.080. Missing this deadline almost always ends the claim.

Comparative Fault Rule

Washington follows “pure comparative negligence” (RCW 4.22.005), so any award is reduced by your percentage of fault but is never barred—even at 99 percent.

5. What Compensation Can Cover

6. Dram-Shop & Social-Host Liability

Washington bars and restaurants that serve a “visibly intoxicated” patron—or any minor—can be sued for crash losses under RCW 66.44.200.  Private hosts who furnish liquor to minors also face liability via RCW 66.44.270.

7. Insurance Layers After a DUI Crash

Washington requires drivers to carry at least $25,000 / $50,000 / $10,000 in liability coverage. Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Serious injuries often exceed these limits; your own underinsured-motorist (UIM) and personal-injury-protection (PIP) benefits may fill gaps. If a carrier unreasonably denies benefits, victims can sue under Washington’s Insurance Fair Conduct Act.

8. Step-by-Step Guide After a Suspected-DUI Collision

1. Call 911 and request law enforcement—officer observations and BAC tests are critical.
2. Get medical care immediately to document injuries.
3. Document everything: photos, dash-cam video, bar receipts, social-media posts, witness contacts.
4. Do not speak to any insurance adjuster before you consult legal counsel.
5. Reach BFQ Law Washington for a free consultation.

9. Why BFQ Law Washington?

• Focused DUI litigation team versed in crash reconstruction, BAC pharmacology, and dram-shop discovery.
• Rapid evidence preservation—subpoenas to bars, ignition-interlock data from the Department of Licensing.
• Proven results—millions recovered for catastrophic-injury and wrongful-death clients.

10. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sue if the driver was not criminally charged?

Yes. Civil liability only requires a “preponderance of evidence,” a lower standard than criminal court.

How long will my case take?

Straightforward DUI-injury claims often resolve in 8–18 months; complex multi-defendant cases may reach trial in two years or more.

What if I was partly at fault?

Your recovery is reduced by your share of fault under Washington’s pure comparative negligence rule, never eliminated.

Ready for a Free Case Review?

Call us or use our online form to speak with a DUI accident lawyer today. Let BFQ Law Washington pursue justice while you focus on getting better.