Montana Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys
The crime of driving while under influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs is established under Montana Code § 61-8-401. Motorists who are convicted of violating this law face stiff criminal penalties.
One of the major reasons for the enactment of drunk driving laws nationwide was the intent to reduce the number of accidents caused by intoxicated motorists. Drunk driving crashes frequently result in very serious or even fatal injuries.
Victims of these accidents can be entitled to compensation from the drivers, but not the parties that served them alcohol. DUI criminal cases are completely separate from personal injury claims, which are civil actions. Convictions in criminal cases may be used as evidence against drivers in civil actions, but a driver who is acquitted of drunk driving charges can still be held civilly liable.
Need an Injury Lawyer Montana represents clients in communities throughout Roosevelt County, Gallatin County, Sanders County, Flathead County, Fergus County, Cascade County, Jefferson County, Lewis and Clark County, Richland County, Ravalli County, Custer County, Silver Bow County, Big Horn County, Lake County, Glacier County, Lincoln County, Park County, Hill County, Yellowstone County, Carbon County, and Missoula County.
Montana Drunk Driving Laws
Montana Code § 61-8-406 also makes it a crime to operate a motor vehicle with an excessive blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The legal limit in Montana is a BAC of 0.08 percent.
An establishment that is a licensed vendor of alcoholic beverages is referred to as a dram shop, and dram shop laws refer to statutes that allow victims to seek compensation from vendors such as bars or restaurants that served intoxicated patrons who caused motor vehicle accidents. Montana Code § 27-1-710 is the state’s dram shop law, and it allows people to hold vendors liable when they serve alcohol to minors (people less than 21 years of age), a person who was visibly intoxicated, or a person who was forced to consume an alcoholic beverage or was informed the drink was non-alcoholic.
Similarly the dram shop law also applies to “social hosts,” our private individuals who serve alcohol to guests. Victims are allowed to seek damages from private parties that served alcohol to the same types of intoxicated people that caused car crashes, except for visibly intoxicated individuals unless they fall under one of the other two categories.
Montana DUI Accident Lawyer
Did you suffer catastrophic injuries or was your loved one killed in an accident caused by a drunk driver in Montana? You will want to contact Need an Injury Lawyer Montana as soon as possible.
We help people in Great Falls, Whitefish, Bozeman, Laurel, Butte, Livingston, Helena, Belgrade, Kalispell, Miles City, Havre, Anaconda, Billings, Sidney, Missoula, Lewistown, and several other surrounding areas.
Our firm is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and handles cases on a contingency fee basis so clients do not pay anything without receiving financial awards. Our experienced personal injury lawyers provide a free, no obligation consultation at which we can review your case and help you understand all of your legal options.