Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer
A drunk driver chose to get behind the wheel.
When a drunk driver hits you, the crash was set in motion before they ever started the car, and Massachusetts law lets you recover for the harm that choice to drive caused.
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What a drunk driving accident claim covers
A drunk driving crash is different from most car accidents in one important way: the danger was created before the driver ever pulled onto the road. When a driver chooses to get behind the wheel after drinking and then hits you, the collision is not a momentary lapse; it is the predictable result of a decision the law treats as one of the most serious a driver can make. A Boston personal injury attorney at Larson Law can gather the evidence of impairment, connect it to how the crash happened, and build the case that puts the full cost on the driver who chose to drive drunk. The consultation is free, and there is no obligation.
These cases carry a weight that ordinary crashes do not, because the harm was so avoidable. A drunk driver had every chance to hand over the keys, call a ride, or simply wait, and chose not to. That choice is often what a jury cares about most, and it is also why the driver and their insurer will work hard to keep the focus narrow, on the seconds before impact rather than the decision that made the crash possible. Keeping both in view is central to a drunk-driving claim.
You may be replaying the crash, wondering if there was anything you could have done. That is a natural response, but it is not the legal question. The law does not ask whether a perfect driver could have avoided a drunk one; it asks whether the other driver was fit to be on the road at all. Keeping the case fixed there is how we make sure your honest uncertainty is never turned into an admission you never meant to make.
What our clients say
Why injured victims call us first.
- We gather the impairment evidence, the police report, the breath or blood results, and the witnesses.
- We answer the insurer’s shared-fault arguments before they can chip away at what you are owed.
- We line up the medical proof so every lasting cost is counted, not just the first hospital bill.
- We know the Boston roads and the late hours where drunk-driving crashes happen most often.
- We handle the adjusters and the paperwork so you can focus on healing, not on fighting the claim.
- No fee unless we win.
- Free case review, no obligation.
- Available 24/7 for your call.
- Decades of trial experience.
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100+ Injured Victims Helped
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How Massachusetts drunk-driving law works.
Drunk driving is illegal in its own right. Massachusetts treats impaired driving as a serious offense. Under G.L. c. 90, §24, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level of eight one-hundredths or more, or while under the influence of alcohol. When the driver who hit you was over that limit or impaired, that violation is powerful evidence of negligence in your injury claim, and a criminal charge or conviction can support the civil case.
How shared-fault arguments work. Massachusetts follows a modified comparative negligence rule under G.L. c. 231, §85. You can recover as long as you were not more at fault than the other driver, though your award is reduced by your own share. Even in a drunk-driving case the insurer will look for a way to place some blame on you; the evidence of impairment is what keeps the focus where it belongs.
The deadline and how your own coverage fits in. Under G.L. c. 260, §2A, you generally have three years from the date of the crash to file suit; miss it and the claim is gone. Massachusetts is also a no-fault state, so your own Personal Injury Protection coverage under G.L. c. 90, §34M pays initial medical bills and part of lost wages regardless of fault. To step outside no-fault and pursue the drunk driver for full damages, including pain and suffering, your case must meet the tort threshold in G.L. c. 231, §6D, generally a set amount in medical expenses or an injury such as a fracture, permanent scarring, or loss of a sense. The serious crashes that impaired driving produces routinely clear that bar.
In many drunk-driving cases the impairment is the heart of the claim. A driver over the limit reacts late, misjudges speed and distance, and drifts or brakes too slowly, and the crash pattern usually reflects it. The police investigation, chemical tests, and witness observations together tell a story that is hard for the at-fault driver to walk back.
Where drunk driving crashes happen
Drunk-driving crashes cluster in time as much as in place; they rise late at night and on weekends, near the routes home from bars and restaurants. In Boston that means the roads out of the entertainment districts, the highway on-ramps and off-ramps where an impaired driver misjudges the merge, and the neighborhood streets where a car drifts across a line late at night. The danger is not confined to any one road, because an impaired driver brings it wherever they go.
Because a drunk driver is a danger to everyone sharing the road, we handle these claims across the full range of people they hurt. We represent drivers and passengers in Boston car accidents and the far more serious Boston truck accidents, where an impaired driver behind a heavy vehicle is catastrophic. We stand up for the road users an impaired driver is least able to avoid, from motorcyclists and pedestrians in the crosswalk to cyclists in the bike lane and riders on scooters, because a person with no metal around them has no defense against a driver who should never have been on the road. Whatever you were doing when the crash found you, the question is the same: was the other driver fit to drive?
What makes these crashes so hard to bear is that they were entirely preventable. The other driver could have made a different choice at any point, and did not. A claim cannot undo the harm, but it can put the cost of that choice where it belongs, on the driver who decided to drive impaired. If you are not sure how to prove the other driver was drunk, that is exactly what we do, and the review costs you nothing.
The drunk-driving crashes we see
Drunk driving produces some of the most severe crashes on the road, because impairment removes the reactions that prevent or soften a collision. The most common are the high-speed rear-end and the failure to stop, where an impaired driver never brakes; the lane-drift and head-on, where a driver crosses the center line; and the crashes at intersections, where an impaired driver misreads a signal or a turn. Because the driver rarely reacts, these impacts tend to happen at full speed.
The injuries follow the physics. A full-speed impact can break bones, injure the spine, cause internal harm, and produce the kind of head injury that changes a life. A motorcyclist, cyclist, or pedestrian struck by an impaired driver absorbs the entire collision. These are exactly the lasting, life-altering harms the drunk-driving laws exist to prevent.
Much of the proof in a drunk-driving case is created in the hours right after the crash, the officer’s observations, the field and chemical tests, and the timeline of where the driver had been. That record is strongest when it is preserved early and read alongside the crash itself. Getting a lawyer involved quickly makes sure none of it is lost and that the impairment stays at the center of the claim.
Medical Bills and Future Care
Lost Wages and Earning Capacity
Pain, Suffering, and Hardship
Wrongful Death of a Loved One
What to do after the crash.
Photograph both cars and the scene.
Photograph both vehicles, the point of impact, and the final positions before anything is moved, and note anything suggesting the other driver had been drinking, because early details matter in a drunk-driving case.
See a doctor even if you feel fine.
See a doctor promptly even if you feel only a little shaken, because the injuries a high-speed crash causes can surface many days later, and an early record ties them squarely to the collision.
Call a lawyer before you settle up.
Before you accept the other driver’s version, let a lawyer secure the impairment evidence, because the rules place the fault on the driver who chose to drive drunk, and that proof backs it up.
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Talk to us before you talk to them.
If a drunk driver hit you in Boston, you should not have to carry the consequences of someone else’s choice while an adjuster works to pay you less. Larson Law will take that fight off your hands. We will gather the impairment evidence, deal with the insurer, and make the case that the crash belongs to the driver who chose to drive drunk. Call today for a free, no-obligation consultation, and pay nothing unless we recover for you.
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Our Clients.
Our Practice Areas.
Larson Law represents injured people across Boston in serious crash and injury cases. If a drunk driver hurt you, the law and the evidence are on your side, and we will use them to hold the responsible driver accountable for the choice they made to drive impaired.
Personal injury law in Boston answered directly.
Do I have a personal injury claim?
You may, if someone else’s carelessness caused your injury. The key questions are whether another person or company was negligent, whether that negligence caused your injury, and how serious the harm is. Many people are unsure whether their situation rises to a claim, especially when an insurer downplays it. A free review with an attorney is the best way to find out, because we can look at the facts, the evidence, and the insurance and tell you honestly whether you have a case and what it may be worth, at no cost to you.
What kinds of cases do you handle?
We handle the full range of serious injury and wrongful death cases, including car, truck, motorcycle, bus, rideshare, bicycle, and pedestrian crashes, slip and fall and other premises injuries, dog bites and animal attacks, injuries from dangerous or defective products, and fatal accidents. What these cases share is that someone was hurt by conduct that should not have happened. If you are not sure whether your situation fits, the simplest thing is to ask; the review is free, and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
How much is my claim worth?
It depends on the severity of the injuries and their lasting effects. Value can reflect past and future medical care, lost wages and reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and the long-term impact of a serious or permanent injury, along with property damage in a crash. Every case is different, and the future care is often the largest part of a serious claim. Be cautious of anyone who promises a number up front; a careful attorney evaluates the claim only after reviewing how the injury happened and the full medical picture.
What if the insurer says I was partly at fault?
You can still recover as long as you were not more than half to blame. Under comparative negligence, MGL Chapter 231 Section 85, your compensation is reduced by your share of fault but not eliminated unless that share passes fifty percent. Insurers often exaggerate the injured person’s role to cut what they pay, sometimes based on little evidence. An attorney can present the full picture of how the injury happened and protect your recovery from an unfair or inflated fault argument.
Should I talk to the insurance company?
It is best to be cautious. The other side’s insurer, and sometimes even your own, may contact you quickly and sound friendly, but their goal is to limit what they pay, and an early recorded statement can be used against you while you are still hurting. You are not required to give one. An attorney can deal with the insurers for you, so you do not say something that is later taken out of context, and so the focus stays on the other side’s fault and your recovery rather than on the insurer’s bottom line.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Most injury claims must be filed within three years under MGL Chapter 260 Section 2A, and for an injured child the deadline is paused under MGL Chapter 260 Section 7. Claims involving a city or other public entity can carry much shorter notice deadlines. Because evidence fades and cameras record over their footage within days, it is best to act soon so the proof can be preserved well before any deadline approaches.
What if I cannot afford a lawyer?
You can. Larson Law handles injury claims on a contingency fee, which means there is no charge unless we recover money for you, and the first review is always free. We advance the costs of investigating the claim and working with any experts the case needs. You do not pay out of pocket while you recover, and we are only paid from a successful result. That arrangement exists so that anyone, regardless of their finances, can afford strong legal help after a serious injury.
Do I really need an attorney for my claim?
For a minor injury you may not, but for any serious injury an attorney usually makes a real difference. Insurers settle for less when no lawyer is involved, and the rules around fault, deadlines, and coverage are easy to get wrong on your own. An attorney levels the field, handles the insurers, proves the claim, and pursues the full value while you focus on recovering. Because the first review is free and we work on a contingency fee, there is no cost to find out whether you need one and what your claim may be worth.
How long will my case take?
It depends on the case. Some claims resolve in a matter of months through negotiation, while others, especially serious injuries that are still healing or cases an insurer refuses to value fairly, take longer and may require filing suit. It is usually wise not to settle until the full extent of your injuries is known, since you generally cannot reopen a claim later. An attorney can give you a realistic timeline for your situation and work to move the case as efficiently as possible without leaving money on the table.
What if a loved one died from an injury?
If an injury proved fatal, close family may bring a wrongful death claim under MGL Chapter 229. Such a claim can seek compensation for the loss of the person’s income, services, companionship, and guidance, along with funeral and related expenses. These cases are painful and the legal steps are complex, and an attorney can handle the investigation and the filings so the family can focus on each other, never paying anything up front and owing a fee only if there is a recovery.
How much does a personal injury attorney cost?
Nothing upfront. Larson Law handles personal injury claims on a contingency fee, so there is no charge unless we recover money for you, and the first review is always free. We advance the costs of investigating the claim, obtaining the records, and working with experts. We are only paid from a successful result, which lets an injured person take on the insurers without paying out of pocket while they recover, so cost is never a reason to wait to find out what your claim may be worth.
What should I do after an accident?
Get medical care right away, even if you feel okay, since some injuries appear hours or days later, and keep every record. Write down how it happened, photograph the scene, the cause, and your injuries, and get the names of any witnesses while it is fresh. Report the accident as appropriate. Avoid giving the insurer a recorded statement or signing anything before you have spoken with an attorney, who can preserve the evidence and protect both your health and your claim from the start.
Results Disclaimer: Past case results, settlements, and verdicts mentioned on this website do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Every case is unique and depends on its own facts and legal issues.