Larson News

Choosing to drive a car after consuming any alcohol is a risky decision that can have disastrous consequences. Larson Law Firm is passionate about holding those who injure or kill others as a result of drinking or drugged driving accountable for their actions, as well as fighting for compensation for those victims and their families.

At Larson Law Firm, we are experienced trial lawyers who have the power to file a civil lawsuit to help our clients obtain justice in these circumstances. A civil case is different from a criminal case. Under criminal law, the state or local prosecutor has discretion to file criminal charges that may result in a fine and/or jail time for the impaired driver. As your lawyer, we will monitor any criminal charges brought against the drunk driver, and will keep informed and cooperate with the prosecutor in the criminal case. Not all civil lawyers think it is their responsibility to help you with the criminal case. At Larson Law Firm, we do what we can to guide you through the criminal process, and are here to help you understand that case too.

But our decision to file a civil lawsuit on your behalf does not depend upon whether criminal charges are filed. Instead, a civil action gives you the power to force someone to take responsibility for your mounting medical bills, lost income, and the interference with your quality of life that comes with sustaining a serious injury, or losing a loved one, in a crash. In addition to these types of actual damages you have sustained, a crash caused by a drunk or impaired driver may allow you to include a claim for punitive or exemplary damages. Punitive damages are a measure of compensation that can be given by a jury for cases that a drunk driver negligently or intentionally caused injury to or the death of one of our clients. Damages like these are awarded for two very important reasons: to punish the wrongdoer, and to deter others from drunk driving by showing others that our community will not tolerate this type of behavior. As a personal injury attorney in Springfield, MO, we know there are many in our Ozarks community who feel the same way.

We are often asked what to do when the insurance company for the drunk or drugged driver contacts you. Use caution. We strongly advise you not to talk with the other driver’s insurance carrier until after you’ve talked with a personal injury attorney that can watch out for your best interests.  Insurance adjusters aren’t on your side, as their job is to protect their insured driver. Whatever you say to them may come back around in court, which is why having an advocate like an experienced injury attorney on your side can make all the difference.

At Larson Law Firm, we believe that drunk and drugged drivers must be held accountable for the damage they inflict upon our clients, whether an injury, or the wrongful death of a loved one. We do not tolerate drunk driving, and we aggressively pursue these cases on a contingency fee basis only, which means you pay nothing to us in advance, and nothing during the course of your case. We will pay for the cost of investigating, developing, and presenting your claim for settlement or in a courtroom at trial. That is how confident we are in our ability. If you do not receive a recovery, you will not pay a dime in attorneys’ fees.