If a drunk driver injured you in Olympia, you have the right to pursue a personal injury case against them regardless of whether criminal charges are ever filed. Freeman Law Firm, Inc. has a long track record over decades, fighting for those hurt by a drunk driver in Olympia, Thurston County, and throughout Washington state. We take cases on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Call us at (253) 383-4500 for a free, no obligation consultation.

Choosing the Right Accident Attorney

Drunk driving accident cases in Olympia can extend liability beyond the at-fault driver, draw in multiple insurance policies, and run alongside a separate criminal case at the same time.

As you decide which law firm to choose, make sure they have the following:

Experience with drunk driving accident cases. Liability can extend beyond the driver to establishments that served them before the crash, and the criminal proceedings require coordination with the personal injury case. An attorney who handles drunk driving cases as a regular part of their practice will know how each element affects the other and where the investigation needs to go.
A commitment to full value. Insurance carriers make initial offers that reflect what they think you'll accept. An attorney who tracks your complete damages, including long-term medical costs and lost earning capacity, negotiates from an informed position and is prepared to push back when an offer falls short.
Consistent communication. Recovering from a serious crash while managing medical care and financial pressure is stressful enough without also trying to figure out where your case stands. An attorney who keeps you informed at each stage removes one significant source of uncertainty from the process.
Long-term damages accounting. Serious drunk driving injuries carry costs beyond the initial hospital stay into ongoing rehabilitation and future medical care. An attorney who accounts for the full cost of ongoing care before any settlement is discussed will pursue a more complete recovery for your losses.

Choosing the right car accident attorney after a drunk driving crash in Olympia is a decision that affects every aspect of your recovery. Schedule a free consultation with Freeman Law Firm, Inc. and let us answer all your questions and help you in your decision.

Proving Fault in an Olympia Drunk Driving Accident

Every personal injury case in Washington rests on four elements:

Duty — Every driver owes a duty of reasonable care to others on the road.
Breach — A DUI violation establishes breach automatically under Washington law.
Causation — The crash directly caused your specific injuries.
Damages — Your injuries produced measurable losses like medical expenses, lost income, or lasting physical harm.

A good drunk driving accident attorney knows a DUI violation resolves two of the four elements automatically, and builds the rest of the case from there.

DUI Violations and the Four Elements of Negligence

The first two elements, duty and breach, are settled by the DUI violation itself. Every driver owes a duty of reasonable care to others on the road, and Washington law treats a DUI violation under RCW 46.61.502 as automatic proof of breach, a concept attorneys call "negligence per se."

The remaining two elements, causation and damages, are what you establish through the personal injury case. Causation means the crash directly caused your specific injuries, and damages covers the measurable losses those injuries produced: medical expenses, lost income, or lasting physical harm. Breath and blood test results are admissible in your injury case under RCW 46.61.506, and officer observations from the police report carry in alongside them.

Criminal Charges and Your Personal Injury Case

Criminal charges against a drunk driver address punishment: jail time, fines, and license revocation. Compensation for your injuries comes from a separate personal injury case on its own timeline.

A criminal conviction is not required to win your personal injury case. When a conviction does occur, it creates an official finding that the driver was intoxicated, which can support your case. If the criminal case is dismissed or the driver is acquitted, your case continues on its own evidence. Personal injury cases carry a lower burden of proof than criminal cases: instead of "beyond a reasonable doubt," your case asks whether it is more probable than not that the driver caused your injuries.

Drunk Drivers and the Bars That Serve Them

Liability in an Olympia drunk driving accident does not always stop with the driver. Depending on where the driver was drinking before the crash, a commercial establishment may share responsibility for what happened.

The At-Fault Driver

A drunk driver who causes a crash carries liability for your injuries, property damage, lost income, and all other losses that follow from the collision. Washington follows a pure comparative negligence standard: your compensation is reduced proportionally if you contributed to the crash, but the drunk driver's share of liability is calculated based on their own conduct, independent of any fault attributed to you.

Dram Shop Law: The Bar or Restaurant That Served Them

Washington prohibits commercial establishments from serving alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person under RCW 66.44.200. If the driver who hit you was drinking at a bar or restaurant before the crash and staff continued serving them despite visible signs of intoxication, that establishment can share liability alongside the driver.

Dram shop cases require a different investigation than the crash itself. Attorneys need to request point-of-sale records and surveillance footage from the establishment, review staff training and alcohol server certification records, and in certain situations request documents from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. At Freeman Law Firm, Inc., the dram shop investigation begins at the start of representation, before standard business retention schedules overwrite camera systems or purge transaction records.

Damages in a Drunk Driving Accident

Washington personal injury law allows injured people to recover both economic and non-economic damages. Drunk driving crashes frequently produce serious, high-cost injuries — traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, and internal injuries requiring surgery and extended rehabilitation — and both damage categories need to be fully developed before any settlement figure is agreed to.

Economic Damages

Economic damages cover losses that can be documented and calculated:

Medical expenses: emergency care, hospitalization, surgeries, prescriptions, and ongoing rehabilitation
Lost wages from time away from work during treatment and recovery
Reduced future earning capacity if injuries limit your ability to work long term
Vehicle repair or replacement costs
Out-of-pocket expenses tied directly to the injury

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages cover losses that cannot be assigned a direct dollar amount but are no less significant in how they affect your life:

Physical pain and suffering
Emotional distress and psychological harm
Loss of enjoyment of daily activities
Loss of consortium for a spouse or domestic partner

Washington does not allow punitive damages in drunk driving accident cases. Criminal penalties handle punishment for the driver. Your personal injury case is limited to compensating you for documented economic and non-economic losses. Spencer Freeman and Kim Shomer account for every category of loss, present and future, before any settlement figure is put on the table.

Insurance Coverage in Drunk Driving Cases

Washington requires drivers to carry a minimum of $25,000 per person in liability coverage. In a serious drunk driving crash, hospital bills alone can approach or exceed that amount within days, and the at-fault driver's policy may leave a large portion of your actual losses unaddressed.

Freeman Law Firm, Inc. reviews every available source of recovery at the outset of representation:

The at-fault driver's liability policy
Your underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, which applies when the at-fault driver's policy falls short of your actual losses
Your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage for medical expenses and lost income
Commercial liability coverage if a bar or restaurant that served the driver shares responsibility

If a carrier unreasonably disputes or denies coverage, Washington's Insurance Fair Conduct Act provides additional remedies.

Insurance adjusters representing the at-fault driver's carrier, and in certain cases your own carrier, may attempt to settle for less than a complete accounting of your losses. An attorney who has calculated every category of economic and non-economic damages, including future medical costs and lost earning capacity, can present a complete figure before any settlement agreement is signed.

Wrongful Death After a Drunk Driving Crash

If a drunk driver killed a family member, Washington's wrongful death statute under RCW 4.20.010 provides a path for specified family members. Spouses and domestic partners typically have standing to pursue a wrongful death case, as do children, and in certain situations parents do as well.

Recoverable losses will usually include funeral expenses, the value of the deceased's future financial contributions to the family, and the loss of the relationship with the person who was killed. A wrongful death action is initiated by the personal representative of the deceased's estate, with compensation distributed to the statutory beneficiaries.

Freeman Law Firm, Inc. has represented families in wrongful death cases arising from drunk driving crashes and can advise on who qualifies under Washington's statute, what compensation is available, and how the wrongful death case intersects with any ongoing criminal proceedings.

Washington's Three-Year Filing Deadline

Washington's statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death cases is three years from the crash date under RCW 4.16.080, and for people who were under 18 at the time of the crash, the period does not begin until they turn 18. Three years is the deadline to initiate the case, and resolution typically takes considerably longer. Freeman Law Firm, Inc. can confirm the applicable deadline and any factors in your specific situation that may affect it.

Steps to Take After a Drunk Driving Crash in Olympia

Documentation gathered at the scene and in the days following a crash is what attorneys use to establish liability and the full scope of losses. A breakdown of the steps that carry the most weight in building your personal injury case:

Call 911. Officer observations, including behavioral indicators and field sobriety test results, are documented in the police report and admissible in your case. Officers can administer or arrange a BAC test, and those results become part of the official record in both proceedings.
Seek medical care the same day. A physician's evaluation produces a written record documenting the connection between the crash and your injuries, which is central to establishing damages in your personal injury case, and insurance carriers frequently scrutinize gaps between a crash and initial medical treatment.
Exchange information. Washington law under RCW 46.52.020 requires all drivers in a crash to exchange names, addresses, contact information, driver's license numbers, license plate numbers, and insurance details. If the other driver is uncooperative, law enforcement can assist.
Document the scene. Photographs of vehicle damage, road conditions, and any physical evidence at the scene can preserve details that change or disappear once vehicles are moved and the area is cleared.
Note where the driver was drinking. If the driver or any witness mentions a bar, restaurant, or other establishment where the driver had been drinking before the crash, record the name and location. Identifying the establishment is directly relevant to whether dram shop liability applies in your case.
Contact Freeman Law Firm, Inc. before providing any recorded statement to an insurance company. Recorded statements to insurance companies are voluntary, and an attorney can advise on how to respond in a way that accurately reflects your injuries and losses without inadvertently narrowing your recovery.

Consulting Freeman Law Firm, Inc. After a Drunk Driving Crash

Freeman Law Firm, Inc. has built its Olympia practice on fierce advocacy and compassionate counsel and has a long track record The Olympia office is located at 400 Union Ave SE, Suite 200, and every resolved case ends with a donation of 1% of attorney fees to a charity of the client's choosing through the Giving Back Program.

For a free consultation with an Olympia drunk driving accident attorney, call (360) 338-6886.

Olympia Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys