In early March, a woman was arrested after she accidentally drove into Green Leaf Massage and Sports Recovery clinic in Lafayette just after noon. She said she was attempting to park her Toyota Highlander in front of the clinic on West South Boulder Road when her foot hit the gas rather than the brake.

This caused her SUV to jump the curb and crash through the front of the clinic. Fortunately, no one was hurt in this Colorado single-car accident. Police are still investigating whether she was impaired at the time of the crash.

Intoxicated Driving in Colorado

It's all too common to read stories like this one—in which property is damaged and people's lives put at risk due to a possible drunk driver. In fact, more than 10,000 people die every year due to drunk driving across the US. That's almost 30 people per day, and sadly, that number continues to climb over the years.

In Colorado alone, the police wrote more than 4,400 tickets to drunk drivers in 2017. And the same year, Colorado police had to investigate just over 500 car accidents related to drugs or alcohol. Clearly, drunk driving is an issue everywhere, including Colorado. If you can relate—and have suffered injuries or property damage after being hit by a drunk driver—you can learn your legal options by talking to a Boulder car accident attorney about your case.

DUI Accident Cases in Boulder

In the above news story, the drivers didn't hurt or kill anyone. In fact, the police are not even sure if she was drunk behind the wheel, though they had reason to suspect this and are still looking into the possibility. But as you can see from the statistics, there are thousands of drunk drivers every year who do cause property damage, injuries, and death.

If you've been injured due to a drunk driver in a Boulder auto accident, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against him or her. In Colorado, a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or more results in a DUI, while a BAC of 0.05 to under 0.08 is called driving while ability impaired (DWAI). If the driver who hit you got either of these charges, you can initiate a personal injury lawsuit against him or her after the auto accident.

With this type of lawsuit, you can sue for economic and non-economic damages, such as the following:

• Medical bills
• Future healthcare costs
• Lost wages
• Property damage
• Lost earning capacity
• Disfigurement
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress

These are the most common damages that you could seek compensation for after a DUI accident. A Boulder personal injury attorney can help determine which of these you should pursue, and if there are any other damages you might be eligible for depending on the details of your case.

Being struck by a drunk driver in Colorado shouldn't leave you with medical bills to try to pay on your own. Instead, you should seek compensation from the person who caused the accident. If you need help getting started, contact a Boulder auto accident attorney today to find out how to proceed.