Hit By a Drunk Driver While Working in Pennsylvania? You May Have THREE Claims
Being hit by a drunk driver is traumatic enough. But if you were working at the time - making a delivery, driving between job sites, or on a work errand - your case just got much more valuable. And much more complex.
Here's why: You don't just have one or two claims. You may have three separate sources of recovery.
The Three Claims in Drunk Driver Work Accidents
1. Workers' Compensation (Guaranteed)
If you were injured while performing job duties, workers' comp pays your medical bills and a portion of lost wages. This applies regardless of who caused the accident - even if the drunk driver was 100% at fault.
2. Personal Injury Claim Against the Drunk Driver
Unlike a regular accident where you're limited to economic damages, drunk driver cases open the door to much larger compensation:
- Full lost wages - not just the partial amount from workers' comp
- Pain and suffering - which workers' comp doesn't cover
- Loss of life enjoyment - compensation for how the injury affects your daily life
- Permanent disability - long-term impacts on your earning capacity
3. Punitive Damages - The Drunk Driver Penalty
This is where drunk driver cases become truly different. Pennsylvania courts allow punitive damages against drunk drivers. These are damages designed to punish the wrongdoer - and they can be substantial.
What Are Punitive Damages?
Punitive damages go beyond compensating you for your injuries. They're meant to punish the drunk driver and deter others from driving drunk. In Pennsylvania, there's no cap on punitive damages in drunk driving cases. Courts have awarded punitive damages worth 2-4 times the actual damages in egregious cases.
Why Insurance Companies Fight These Cases Hard
Because the potential payout is so much higher in drunk driver cases, insurance companies deploy aggressive tactics:
- They'll try to minimize your injuries
- They'll argue you were partially at fault
- They'll claim the drunk driver wasn't "that drunk"
- They'll pressure you to settle quickly before you understand the full value
Don't fall for it. These cases require attorneys who understand both workers' comp AND personal injury law - because you need to maximize both claims without one hurting the other.
Evidence That Matters in Drunk Driver Cases
To prove punitive damages, we need to document the drunk driver's recklessness:
- Police report with BAC (blood alcohol content) results
- Bar or restaurant receipts showing alcohol purchases
- Witness statements about the driver's behavior
- Prior DUI history (if any)
- Toxicology reports
- Surveillance footage from establishments
Our Approach: Two Specialists Working Your Case
At Keystone Crash Lawyers, we handle your workers' comp claim directly. For the personal injury claim against the drunk driver - including the punitive damages claim - we work with heavyweight Personal Injury attorneys we've carefully vetted.
This means you get:
- A Certified Workers' Comp Specialist (Attorney Michael Cardamone) handling your workplace injury benefits
- An experienced Personal Injury attorney pursuing maximum damages against the drunk driver
- Coordinated strategy so one claim doesn't reduce the other
Hit by a Drunk Driver While Working?
Time matters in these cases. Evidence disappears. Witnesses forget. Call now for a free consultation.
(215) 206-9068Don't Wait - Evidence Disappears
In drunk driver cases, critical evidence can vanish quickly:
- Bar surveillance footage is often overwritten within 30 days
- Witness memories fade
- Blood alcohol evidence must be preserved properly
- The drunk driver may hire their own lawyers to protect assets
The sooner you call, the better we can protect your rights and preserve evidence that proves punitive damages.
Free consultation. No fee unless we win.