Tampa DUI Accident Victim Attorney
Someone chose to drive impaired, and you’re the one paying for it. Florida law treats that choice as a special kind of wrong — and it opens a door most crash cases never reach.
Tell us what happened.
Free · confidential · you’ll hear from Chris, not a call center.
Or call or text (727) 656-7852.
DUI Crashes Hurt the Innocent — Not Just the Impaired.
In Florida, driving under the influence is both a crime and a civil wrong. When an impaired driver causes a crash, they are legally at fault — period. It’s called negligence per se: the very act of driving impaired is evidence of negligence in your case.
And then comes the insult after the injury: even when fault is obvious, insurers still downplay your injuries, push fast lowball offers, and try to pin “comparative fault” where it doesn’t belong — dragging things out until you’re too tired to fight.
At CDB Injury Law, we don’t let a clear wrong get quietly discounted. You focus on healing; we hold the right people accountable.
Florida law, plainly
Why a drunk-driving case is different
Most crash claims are about proving fault. In a DUI case, the impaired choice is the fault — and Florida law responds to it more forcefully than to an ordinary accident.
The impaired driver is negligent as a matter of law
Because driving impaired is illegal, it counts as negligence per se. That doesn’t guarantee a result, but it shifts the ground under the whole case in your favor.
The punitive-damages cap comes off
Florida normally caps punitive damages (generally three times compensatory damages, or $500,000). But when the driver was impaired by alcohol or drugs — or had a BAC of 0.08 or higher — those caps do not apply. A drunk-driving case is one of the few where punitive damages, meant to punish the conduct, can run uncapped.
Others may share responsibility
Under Florida’s dram-shop law, a bar or vendor can be liable for serving alcohol to someone underage or knowingly to a person habitually addicted. Finding every responsible party is part of the work.
Your civil case stands on its own
The state prosecutes the DUI; your claim for compensation is separate. A criminal conviction can help, but you don’t have to wait for — or depend on — one to recover. The usual two-year deadline (2023 tort-reform law) still applies.
What to do as a DUI-crash victim
Get medical care — and keep every record.
See a doctor even if the adrenaline is masking it. Your records from day one anchor the claim.
Make sure the impairment is documented.
The police report, any breath or blood test, and the arrest record are powerful evidence. We move to secure them before they’re buried in the criminal file.
Don’t accept a quick settlement.
Insurers move fast on DUI cases precisely because they know the exposure. An early lowball offer is a signal of how much is really at stake — not the value of your claim.
Talk to a lawyer who will pursue the full picture.
Compensatory damages are only part of it. The punitive angle — and any dram-shop liability — is where a DUI case is different, and it takes counsel who will chase it.
Florida’s punitive-damages caps come off when a driver was impaired or at a BAC of 0.08 or higher. In a state that otherwise limits punitive awards, a DUI crash is one of the rare cases where the law lets a jury punish the conduct in full.
DUI-victim cases, quick answers
DUI accident-victim questions
I was hit by a drunk driver. What should I do first?
What makes a DUI case different from a regular crash?
How much is my case worth?
Is there a deadline to file?
What does it cost to hire CDB Injury Law?
Someone broke the law. You’re left picking up the pieces.
You deserve a lawyer who treats that as the serious wrong it is. A career spent holding negligent drivers accountable across Tampa Bay — tell us what happened, there’s no cost to talk.