Drunk Driving Accident Attorney in Lancaster

Injured by an Intoxicated Driver? Turn to a Firm That's Been Helping Injured Pennsylvanians Since 1922

A drunk driving crash can change everything in an instant. It can leave you facing injuries, hospital bills, missed work, and phone calls with insurance adjusters who don’t have your interests at heart. You’re dealing with real losses caused by someone else’s decision to drive impaired. A civil personal injury claim is separate from any criminal DUI case the driver may face, and it’s how you pursue compensation for what you’ve lost.

At Handler, Henning & Rosenberg LLC, we’ve represented injured Pennsylvanians in car accident and serious injury cases since 1922. Our firm has helped more than 40,000 clients across Central Pennsylvania and has won tens of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. We have a full-time investigator on staff who's dedicated to finding out what happened and who may be responsible. Our attorneys travel statewide to meet clients at home or in the hospital. If we take your case, there are no upfront costs and you pay nothing unless we win.

Lancaster car accident claims, including those involving impaired drivers, are cases we handle as part of our broader personal injury practice. Whether your claim involves a single driver, uninsured motorist coverage, or more complex liability questions, we review the available coverage, evidence, and potential sources of responsibility.

Call (717) 775-7579 or contact us online to discuss the crash and your legal options.

How a Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Can Help after a Crash

Evidence supporting your claim can become harder to obtain as time passes. Police records, available chemical-test results, witness accounts, photographs, vehicle damage documentation, and medical records may all matter. Our on-staff investigator handles fact-finding and case development from the start to gather and review these materials promptly.

Building a Drunk Driving Injury Claim

Working with us means partnering with a team that handles the full scope of your claim. We review liability, analyze available insurance coverage including your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, document your injuries and future care needs, and negotiate with insurance companies. When a fair resolution isn’t reached, we’re prepared to pursue litigation.

We can help build your claim by:

• Collecting Evidence: Our in-house investigator gathers police records, available chemical-test information, witness statements, photographs, and other crash documentation.
• Analyzing Fault and Liability: We identify who may be responsible and review all applicable insurance coverage.
• Documenting Your Injury: We review medical records and other documentation to connect your treatment, limitations, future care needs, and financial losses to the crash.
• Negotiating with Insurance Companies: We handle communications and settlement discussions with insurance carriers so you don’t have to.
• Litigation, When Necessary: If the insurance company won’t offer a fair resolution, we’re prepared to take your case to court.

Potentially Recoverable Losses

Potential claim value depends on liability evidence, the severity of your injuries, available insurance, and documented losses. We review all of those factors before advising you on your options.

Losses that may be recoverable in a Lancaster drunk driving injury claim include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Rehab or long-term care
• Property damage
• Punitive damages in certain severe cases

Compensatory damages address your actual economic and noneconomic losses. Punitive damages, which are meant to punish particularly egregious conduct, are not automatic in every drunk driving case. They’re fact-dependent and require more than proof of an ordinary crash. Future medical care, reduced earning capacity, and lasting limitations may also require supporting documentation to account for them fully.

What to Do after a Drunk Driving Accident in Lancaster

After a crash, prioritize safety, medical care, reporting, and evidence preservation. Here are some critical steps to take (if you can):

• Get Medical Help: Some injuries don’t surface immediately. Get checked right away and follow your medical instructions.
• Call the Police: An official report creates a record of the incident. Preserve any report number you receive.
• Collect Evidence: Photographs, witness contact information, vehicle details, and any other available documentation can help preserve the facts of the crash.
• Avoid Recorded Statements: Don’t give recorded statements or sign any settlement documents before understanding what effect they could have on your claim.
• Talk to a Lawyer Promptly: Evidence can become harder to obtain as time passes. Early case assessment can help protect your options.

Serving Lancaster Clients with a Century of Experience

Our firm has served Central Pennsylvania since 1922 and has helped more than 40,000 clients across the region. Multiple attorneys at Handler, Henning & Rosenberg LLC have been recognized in Best Lawyers®, selected to Super Lawyers® and Super Lawyers Rising Stars, and named to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100. Multiple members of our team belong to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which require million-dollar or multi-million-dollar results as a condition of membership. 

In addition to Lancaster, we serve clients statewide, including in Harrisburg, Hanover, Carlisle, York, Adams County, and Schuylkill County. We’re accessible to clients throughout Central Pennsylvania, but when getting to an office isn’t possible, our attorneys travel anywhere in Pennsylvania to meet clients at home or in the hospital.

The Process of Working with Our Lancaster Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers

The process begins with a free consultation where you share the details of your accident and we explain your possible options and next steps. If we take your case, our in-house investigator begins gathering the facts. We collect and review medical records, analyze insurance coverage, and build the documentation needed to support your claim. Throughout that process, we communicate regularly and provide updates about case developments and next steps.

Whether a case requires court involvement depends on liability disputes, injury severity, insurance positions, and other case-specific factors. We pursue a negotiated resolution when appropriate and prepare for litigation when it isn’t.

Pennsylvania Law & Lancaster Drunk Driving Injury Claims

Pennsylvania generally requires a personal injury lawsuit to be filed within two years of the date of the incident, subject to exceptions and claim-specific rules. Missing the applicable deadline may bar your claim, which is why early legal assessment matters. Under Pennsylvania’s comparative negligence rules, a plaintiff’s recovery may be reduced in proportion to any negligence assigned to them, but recovery is barred when the plaintiff’s share of fault reaches 51 percent or more.

Key legal considerations include:

• BAC Threshold: Pennsylvania sets the per se DUI threshold for an adult driver at a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent, though impairment-based liability may involve additional facts beyond that number.
• Civil vs. Criminal: A civil personal injury claim and a criminal DUI case are separate proceedings. A criminal arrest, charge, dismissal, or acquittal doesn’t by itself determine whether a civil claim exists or what it’s worth. Criminal-case records may be relevant to your civil matter, but the two proceedings are evaluated independently.
• Dram Shop Liability: Pennsylvania law may allow claims against an alcohol-serving business that unlawfully served the impaired driver, though this requires fact-specific analysis and isn’t automatic.

Your Rights & Options after a Lancaster Drunk Driving Accident

Your options may extend beyond a straightforward claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance. We review the full picture, including your own policy, to identify potentially applicable sources of coverage.

Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may be relevant when the at-fault driver lacks sufficient insurance, subject to your policy language and applicable law. If you were a passenger in the vehicle, your claim options may differ from those available to a driver, depending on the facts and available coverage. Pennsylvania’s no-fault automobile insurance rules can also affect how medical expenses and other losses are pursued, which means the specific policy language and accident facts require careful review. 

Punitive damages require more than proof of an ordinary accident and are not available in every claim, but we evaluate whether the facts support them in cases where the conduct was particularly egregious.

Lancaster DUI Accident FAQ

The answers below address common questions about civil claims after a drunk driving crash.

Can I File a Civil Claim If the Impaired Driver Was Arrested?

Potentially. The criminal DUI case and your civil injury claim are separate proceedings. An arrest or criminal charge doesn’t establish civil liability, just as a dismissal or acquittal doesn’t necessarily prevent you from pursuing a claim.

How Can I Afford an Attorney?

If we take your case, there are no upfront costs. You pay nothing unless we win.

What If the Impaired Driver Was Uninsured?

Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may provide an option, depending on your policy and the facts of the crash. We review the available policies to determine which coverage may apply.

How Long Will My Case Take?

Every case is different. Timelines depend on the severity of your injuries, available evidence, insurance positions, and whether litigation is required. Some cases resolve in a matter of months; others take longer. We keep you updated throughout with information about case developments.

Will I Have to Go to Court?

Not necessarily. Some cases settle through negotiations, while others require litigation. Whether you need to testify or attend court depends on how your case develops and what is required to pursue it.

Talk to a Lancaster Drunk Driving Accident Attorney for Free

We can investigate the crash, review available insurance coverage, document your losses, and handle negotiations or litigation while you focus on recovery. If we take your case, you pay nothing unless we win.

Call (717) 775-7579 for a free consultation with our Lancaster drunk driving accident lawyers, or send us a message online.