Reviewed by Mazie Slater’s specialized drunk driving accident attorney [David A. Mazie – Managing Partner of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman]

In New Jersey, a driver is considered to be driving under the influence if their blood alcohol content (BAC) is over .08. Drunk drivers have slower reactions and frequently weave across the lanes of the highway. They use poor judgment when entering the flow of traffic. They might enter an expressway via the exit ramp and cause a head-on collision — one of the most deadly types of accidents. With all the notoriety and public outcry over driving while intoxicated, it is remarkable that drivers still try to get away with it. Even if they manage to get home safely once, they will eventually cause an accident. It is a sad, but accurate, prediction. This is why it is important to contact an experienced drunk driving accident attorney if you are a victim in a drunk driving accident in New Jersey.

Our award-winning DUI and DWI accident lawyers have extensive experience in suing drunk drivers, bars, restaurants, arenas, and social hosts for causing accidents in New Jersey. In handling these drunk driving lawsuits, our firm works closely with toxicologists, accident reconstructionists, and liquor liability experts to effectively and aggressively prepare and present our clients’ cases.

Through our successes, we have obtained a reputation in New Jersey as dram shop and social host liability lawyers who handle high-profile drunk driving accident cases, and no other New Jersey law firm has come close to our success in drunk driving accident cases.  Some examples of our drunk driving successes: 

Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman’s work on car accident cases, such as DUI/DWI accidents, has helped the firm to consistently be recognized among the most successful personal injury law firms in both New Jersey and across the country. Here are some of the personal injury awards we have won over the years for our work on car accident cases:

Car Accidents are a subset of personal injury law and encompass a wide variety of cases, such as bus, truck, and drunk driving accidents. Below are some of the statistics about New Jersey’s drunk driving cases.

Over the past ten years, we have seen a substantial rise in the number of car accidents caused by impaired drivers in New Jersey. Quite often, the drunk driver does not have adequate automobile insurance to cover the damages of the victim. Fortunately, New Jersey has laws that enable someone hit by a drunk driver to sue bars, restaurants, and even private individuals if they served alcohol to the driver while he or she was visibly intoxicated. This is why it is so important to be hyper vigilant on NJ roads, and if you have found yourself injured by a drunk driver, to find a drunk driving attorney who has experience pursuing these kinds of cases.

Drunk driving accidents frequently result in catastrophic injuries due to the high speeds and impaired reaction times involved, as intoxicated drivers often fail to brake or take evasive action before impact. These collisions commonly cause traumatic brain injuries that can lead to cognitive impairment, memory loss, and permanent disability, as well as spinal cord injuries that may result in partial or complete paralysis. Victims also suffer broken bones, internal organ damage and bleeding, severe lacerations requiring surgical repair, and soft tissue injuries that can cause chronic pain and limited mobility. The psychological trauma is equally significant, with many survivors developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety about driving or riding in vehicles, and depression stemming from permanent physical limitations or disfigurement. Common injuries from drunk driving accidents include:

If you were a victim in a drunk driving accident in New Jersey, here are the steps you should take to ensure your safety and help your case:

While the intoxicated driver who caused your accident bears primary responsibility, New Jersey law recognizes that multiple parties may share liability for drunk driving crashes.

Under New Jersey’s Licensed Alcoholic Beverage Server Fair Liability Act (commonly known as the “Dram Shop” law), bars, restaurants, taverns, and other establishments with liquor licenses can be held liable if they negligently served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person who then caused an accident. This means the bartender or server who continued pouring drinks for someone who was obviously drunk may have contributed to your injuries.We have extensive experience in successfully handling dram shop lawsuits against bars, restaurants and others who who serve guests until they are intoxicated, and then the guest injures another in a drunk driving car accident.

If the drunk driver was served alcohol at a non-commercial event, such as a home gathering or celebration where the host could tell the person was overly drunk or even underage, that host could be held liable.  We have extensive experience in successfully handling social host lawsuits against homeowners who serve guests until they are intoxicated, and then the guest injures another in a drunk driving car accident.

In some drunk driving cases, an employer may also be liable if the drunk driver was operating a company vehicle or was on the clock at the time of the accident.

Identifying all potentially liable parties is crucial because drunk drivers often carry insufficient insurance to fully compensate serious injury victims, but pursuing claims against bars, restaurants, or other defendants can provide additional sources of recovery to ensure you receive full compensation for your damages.

Our experienced drunk driving accident lawyers at Mazie Slater will conduct a thorough investigation to identify every liable party and maximize your compensation. Our attorney will obtain police reports, breathalyzer results, and criminal case records, then subpoena credit card receipts, surveillance footage from bars or restaurants, and witness testimony to trace where the drunk driver consumed alcohol. To hold establishments liable under New Jersey’s Dram Shop law, law firms must prove they served someone showing visible signs of intoxication—such as slurred speech or loss of coordination—before that person caused your accident. This often means that our team will consult accident reconstruction experts, toxicologists, and liquor liability specialists to build an airtight case against all responsible parties.

Victims of drunk driving accidents in New Jersey can pursue compensation through multiple damage categories, with drunk driving cases often yielding higher awards due to the reckless nature of the conduct. Review the types of compensation available below:

Remember that drunk driving accident cases present unique opportunities for substantial compensation, given the egregious nature of the conduct and the availability of multiple defendants. Our experienced drunk driving accident attorneys are dedicated to identifying every liable party, pursuing all available insurance coverage, and fighting aggressively to secure maximum compensation that truly reflects the harm caused by someone’s irresponsible decision to drive drunk.

At Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, we detest drunk drivers and will do everything in our power to make sure that they are forced to compensate their victims to the fullest extent possible. Our team of drunk driving accident attorneys are some of the best car accident lawyers in the state, and extremely experienced in suing drunk drivers and making them pay. We aggressively handle each case from the beginning and we won’t let up until the case is settled or goes to court.

If you or a loved one has been in an accident caused by a drunk driver that resulted in serious personal injury or death, protect your rights and contact the New Jersey law firm of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman. One of our experienced DUI lawyers will get back to you as soon as possible to discuss your case.