Drunk Driving Accident Attorney in Williamsville

Pursuing Claims Against Impaired Drivers & the Establishments That Served Them

When a drunk driver causes a crash in the Williamsville area, the people injured deserve more than the outcome of a criminal case. Since 1968, Faraci Lange, LLP has helped Western New York residents pursue civil compensation after impaired drivers upended their lives. We work with people throughout Erie County, including those living and working in Williamsville.

Why Williamsville Residents Come to Faraci Lange, LLP

Our firm focuses solely on personal injury law, which lets us direct our resources toward what matters: helping injured clients recover. Eleven of our attorneys are recognized in Best Lawyers in America® for Personal Injury Law, and six hold the AV Preeminent® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest peer-review rating in the legal profession. We’ve handled hundreds of cases involving drunk drivers who caused injury to members of the public, and our Buffalo office has served Erie County clients since 2012.

Every case we take is handled personally. We tailor our strategy to your specific injuries and circumstances and remain available throughout the process to answer your questions and explain your options.

How Civil Liability Works After a DWI Crash in New York

New York’s legal term for impaired driving is DWI (Driving While Intoxicated), which applies to impairment by alcohol or other intoxicating substances. Drunk driving is unlawful in New York and is considered negligent, meaning a driver who causes a crash while impaired can be held civilly liable through a personal injury or wrongful death claim, entirely separate from any criminal DWI proceeding against them.

New York follows a pure comparative negligence rule, so an injured person’s own share of fault reduces the damages they can recover but doesn’t bar the claim. The drunk driver may not be the only party who shares fault, which leads to another important avenue: dram shop liability.

Dram Shop Claims Against Bars, Restaurants, & Other Alcohol Sellers

Dram shop liability holds an alcohol-serving establishment responsible when it unlawfully serves alcohol to someone who then causes harm. Under New York General Obligations Law sections 11-100 and 11-101, bars, restaurants, and other sellers of alcohol can be liable when they serve a visibly intoxicated patron or sell alcohol to a minor, and that person goes on to injure someone else.

A dram shop claim is a separate legal theory from the claim against the driver. It may draw on the establishment’s own insurance coverage and can affect the total compensation available to an injured victim. Proving unlawful service requires a thorough investigation and an attorney who understands how these claims work. When the facts support it, we pursue both claims simultaneously.

What a Drunk Driving Injury Claim Involves

New York personal injury claims generally must be filed within three years of the accident under CPLR Section 214. Acting promptly matters because evidence, witness recollections, and surveillance footage can disappear quickly after a crash.

New York’s Serious Injury Threshold

New York requires an injured victim in a car accident case to prove a “serious injury” as defined by statute. That injury must be objectively verified by a medical test; complaints of pain alone aren’t sufficient. Qualifying injuries can include significant fractures, permanent limitations of a body organ or member, or a medically determined injury that prevents a person from performing substantially all daily activities for 90 of the first 180 days after the accident.

Damages & Where Cases Are Filed

Available damages generally include medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. New York courts have recognized punitive damages against an intoxicated driver in cases involving aggravating conduct. For Williamsville-area residents, serious civil cases are filed in Erie County Supreme Court in Buffalo, which handles major personal injury lawsuits for the county.

Injuries Caused by Drunk Driving Crashes

Impaired drivers frequently drift across center lanes at high speed, making drunk driving accidents a common cause of severe head-on collisions. The injuries that follow are often serious and life-altering.

Common injuries we see in these cases include:

• Broken bones: Fractures that require surgery and months of recovery
• Whiplash and neck injuries: Soft tissue and cervical spine damage that can cause long-term pain
• Internal organ injuries: Damage that may require emergency surgery
• Lacerations and bruising: Cuts and injuries from broken glass and debris
• Emotional trauma: Anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress that accompany physical recovery

Talk to Our Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Serving Williamsville

We work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing upfront. Our fee comes only if we recover compensation for you.