In addition to economic and non-economic damages, an injured person is entitled to claim punitive damages against a drunk driver for their reckless conduct. Punitive damages are designed to punish the defendant and serve as a deterrent to drunk driving.
- Steve Wahlberg
The law recognizes the unnecessary tragedy caused by drunk driving - and so do the insurance companies. When an accident involves drunk driving, it is usually considered an aggravating factor by juries, and therefore also by the insurance companies. An aggravating factor is an aspect of the case that increases the value of the claim in settlement negotiations or in court through a category of damages called punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded against the negligent driver to punish him for his wrongdoing.
Steve Wahlberg was the program chair of the ABOTA Masters in Trial Program which presented a car wreck case to a group of young lawyers. The program was considered an overall success, attended by 80 attorneys. Mr. Wahlberg and Ms. Kudla presented expert testimony from a treating neurologist regarding head injury issues during the seminar.
- Steve Wahlberg
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, over 16,000 people were killed last year due to alcohol related accidents in the United States alone. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, approximately 500,000 Americans are injured each year as a result of drunk drivers. The lawyers at Hillyard, Wahlberg, Kudla & Sloane, LLP, have a long history of aggressively pursuing claims against drunk drivers and have received over $4 million in verdicts and settlements in the last seven years against drunken drivers or companies that employ them.
- Steve Wahlberg