Toll-Free: 866-595-3565
Phone: 206-727-4000
Attorney Chris Davis and his wife Mischelle are fighting against drunk driving in Washington State. During his career as a prosecutor for King County, attorney Chris Davis brought hundreds of DUI offenders to justice. Today Chris helps the victims of drunk driving collisions and their families gain financial compensation for the harms caused by DUI offenders. Chris' wife Mischelle Davis is a leading volunteer with Washington State Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Call 206-727-4000 to schedule a no obligation consultation with an experienced DUI victim's rights attorney. Accidents Caused By Drunk Drivers in Washington StateIn Washington State, 42% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes involve a driver that was under the influence of alcohol. In 2009, 206 people in Washington State lost their lives in drunk driving crashes. In Washington State there is a sharp increase in the number of drunk driving incidents near major holidays. |
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We Sue Drunk Drivers: Law Firm Representing Victims of Drunk Drivers in Washington State
Seriously injured by a drunk driver in Washington state? Want justice for your loved ones? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?
Get the legal aid that you need. Call attorney Chris Davis at Davis Law Group. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
Call 206-727-4000 now for a FREE legal consultation regarding your drunk driving injury case. We serve drunk driving victims all over Washington State. Yes, we can arrange to have someone come to you if you are unable to visit one of our offices.
Like our friends at Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), at Davis Law Group we believe that there is no such thing as a ‘drunk driving accident’. Drunken driving collisions result from carelessness or deliberate dangerous driving (under the influence of alcohol), not from circumstances beyond the control of the at-fault driver. Car crashes that are caused by a drunk driver are entirely avoidable.
Unfortunately there are still irresponsible people who will get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol. It seems that no matter how tough drunk driving laws may be, drunk driving collision victims continue to suffer at the hands of people who just don't think that drunk driving is serious. There are few words that can express the anger and emotion people feel when they're injured by a car driven by a drunk driver or by a driver under the influence of drugs.
Some of the attorneys, paralegals and support staff at Davis Law Group formed a walking team for Washington State Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)'s Walk Like MADD fundraising event which was held at Seattle's Greenlake Park on October 29th. In both 2011 and 2012 our law firm's 2011 Walk Like MADD team took the top prize for the most money raised by a business or corporation.
See the 2011 SPECIAL MADD EDITION and the 2012 SPECIAL MADD EDITION of the Davis Law Group Newsletter.
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Founded by a mother who lost her daughter in a crash, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking. The mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. Washington State has a MADD chapter with victim advocates that are ready to provide drunk driving crash victims and their families with the emotional support that they need. MADD welcomes donations that support awareness campaigns and educational programs in our local area.
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Mischelle Davis with Mothers Against Drunk Driving founder Candace Lightener. |
| Davis Law Group recognizes that law enforcement officials in Washington State are the heroes who keep our roads safe. High-visibility law enforcement programs such as target zero, drive hammered get nailed, dui checkpoints and increase patrols during holiday weekends, special events, concerts and ballgames catches drunk drivers and discourages others from driving drunk. Davis Law Group would like to thank the Washington State Patrol, the Seattle Police Department's DUI Squad, the King County Sheriff's Office, and all of the other city, county and state law enforcement and agencies such as the Washington Traffic Safety Commission which keep Washington State citizens safe. |  Attorney Chris Davis, Washington State Patrol (WSP) Chief John R. Batiste, and King County Sheriff Sandra Rahr. |
Washington State law provides that the drivers on the road have the duty to not operate a motor vehicle when under the influence of alcohol. See RCW 46.61.502. A DUI arrest in Washington means license suspension, jail time, and up to $5,000 in fines and fees. You may be ordered to install and pay for a device (called an ignition interlock) that won’t allow your car to start if you have any alcohol in your system. The court can order you to pay for and attend alcohol or drug treatment.
Dram shop laws make it possible for bar owners and alcohol servers to be held financially liable if a customer becomes obviously intoxicated on their premises and subsequently injures someone or causes property damage, typically by driving drunk. Washington State law forbids the selling of alcohol 'to any person apparently under the influence of liquor.’ See RCW 66.44.200(1).
Washington State Law prohibits vendors from selling alcohol to minors. See RCW 66.44.320.
Drunk Driving Awareness & Prevention Programs in Washington State
Here are just a few of the programs that are working to prevent drinking and driving and save lives in Washington State.
Washington State Patrol helps to enforce the Washington Traffic Safety Commission's "Drive Hammered-Get Nailed" campaign to catch crunk drivers. This program puts many more DUI task forces out on Washington streets, roads, and highways throughout the state between mid-August and early September. The idea is to catch more drunk drivers during the days and weeks surrounding Labor Day weekend in order to stop the drunk driver before they do any damage to themselves or others.
To raise awareness, the Washington State chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is working with a number of law enforcement agencies and first responders in Washington State that will be placing red ribbons on fleet vehicles to remind drivers not to drive drunk this holiday season, and every day of the year.
Washington State provides financial assistance for victims of crime including drunk driving collsions. Drunk driving crash victims can qualify for benefits if they suffered an injury or severe emotional distress. Almost any incident involving a drunk driver qualifies as a vehicular crime and thus qualifies for Crime Victim Compensation benefits. The incident must have been reported to the police within one year and a claim must be filed for benefits within two years.
If you applying for benefits from the Crime Victims Compensation you will not be prevented from filing a lawsuit against the at-fault driver or any other entity (like a bar, the state, a home owner who hosted a party) that may be. However it should be noted that Crime Victims Compensation is a payer of last resort which means that if you have your own health insurance, or either the at-fault driver OR you have car insurance, that insurance money must be exhausted before you begin receiving benefits from Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
To apply for Crime Victims Compensation you must:
1. Fill out the application located at: http://www.lni.wa.gov/forms/pdf/F800-042-000.pdf
2. Send the application to: Crime Victims, PO Box 44520, Olympia, WA 98504-4520 or fax the form to: 360-902-5333.
3. If you have questions about completing the application form, don’t hesitate to contact our office for a FREE consultation at 206-727-4000.
NOTE: Bankruptcy protection doesn't apply to drunk drivers. Drunk drivers cannot obtain relief Chapters 7 and 13 Federal Bankruptcy Codes to avoid paying personal injury judgments or criminal restitutions for drunken driving claims. So if you are awarded a judgment against a drunk driving offender and that person later files for bankruptcy, they will still owe you the money--the drunk driving case and the money they owe will not be discharged.
Below are the dates and holidays most associated with drunk driving wrecks in the United States. But the true statistics will shock you. Here is the ranking based on common perception:
1. Fourth of July Weekend
2. Halloween
3. Labor Day Weekend
4. Thanksgiving Weekend
5. Christmas Week
6. Memorial Day Weekend
7. New Year’s Day
8. Super Bowl Sunday
9. New Year’s Eve
10. St. Patrick’s Day
Many people mistakenly believe that New Year's Eve is the holiday with the most drunk driving accidents. Most are surprised to learn that New Year's Eve runs a distant second to the holiday that statistically has the largest number of drunk driving fatalities--Thanksgiving.
During Thanksgiving weekend in 2008, 389 people were killed in car crashes in the United States; thousands more were injured, and most of the collisions involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
Have you or a loved one been injured in a drunk driving wreck in Washington? If so, let the Davis Law Group help you fight for your rights and get answers to your questions. Call 206-727-4000 now for a FREE legal consultation regarding your drunk driving injury case. We serve drunk driving victims all over Washington State. Yes, we can arrange to have someone come to you if you are unable to visit one of our offices.
We can help whether you live in Auburn, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bremerton, Cascade, Edmonds, Everett, Federal Way, Kennewick, Kent, Kirkland, Lakewood, Longview, Olympia, Redmond, Renton, Richland, Seattle, Shoreline, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Yakima or the greater Seattle area. Having substantial experience with these types of claims the drunk driving victim's rights attorneys at Davis Law Group have the skill and expertise necessary to help you.
Getting the maximum injury settlement you're entitled to is a job for an experienced attorney with a winning record. Attorney Chris Davis and the team at Davis Law Group have recovered millions of dollars for our clients. Davis Law Group has earned the trust of injury victims in Washington State by handling their cases with both skill and dignity.
For the best advice regarding injury claims consult with our top-rated attorneys and learn your legal rights. You need to know about the statute of limitations and other deadlines that may destroy your case if you delay. Call Davis Law Group at 206-727-4000 for a free, no-obligation legal consultation.
Call us at 206-727-4000
For a FREE, Confidential, Consultation
Can't come into our office for a legal consultation? No problem.
We understand that your time is precious and that you cannot always come in to our office for a meeting. In some cases we can visit you in the hospital, care facility, or in your home. Davis Law Group is also pleased to offer meetings and consultations through conference call or Skype.
Attorney Chris Davis, founder of Davis Law Group, is the author of Washington State Drunk Driving Collision Victim Handbook. As a service to the public, Mr. Davis offers copies of the book to drunk driving collision vicitms free of charge.
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