Claims against impaired drivers are different
When the driver who hit you was impaired by alcohol or drugs, your civil claim gains real leverage. A criminal charge or conviction is powerful evidence of negligence, and courts can award punitive or aggravated damages on top of ordinary compensation where the driver's conduct was a marked departure from decent behaviour.
The criminal case punishes the driver; it pays you nothing. The civil claim is yours, it runs separately, and it does not require a conviction to succeed. The standard of proof is lower in civil court.
Who else may be liable
Alberta law can extend liability beyond the driver: commercial hosts who over-served an obviously intoxicated patron, employers whose employee drove impaired on the job, and vehicle owners who lent a car to someone they knew or should have known was impaired. Each adds insurance coverage to your claim.
- Pain and suffering (general damages) for the injury itself and its effect on your life
- Lost income and lost earning capacity, past and future
- Medical and rehabilitation costs including physiotherapy, medication, and equipment
- Cost of future care for lasting injuries
- Housekeeping and loss of valuable services you can no longer perform
- Out-of-pocket expenses from mileage to childcare
Alberta Accident Law works on a full contingency basis: you pay nothing unless we win. There are no hourly rates, no retainers, and no bill if your claim does not succeed. Your case review is free, confidential, and carries no obligation, so finding out where you stand costs you nothing.
Impaired driving around Edmonton
Anthony Henday Drive carries some of the highest traffic volumes in Alberta and produces serious high-speed collisions, while Whitemud Drive, Yellowhead Trail (Highway 16), and the Gateway Boulevard/Calgary Trail corridor generate constant commuter crashes. Long, icy winters make road conditions a factor for months at a time.
Under Alberta's Limitations Act you generally have 2 years from the date of the accident to start a claim, and some situations carry much shorter notice deadlines. Evidence also degrades quickly: skid marks fade, camera footage is overwritten, and witnesses forget. Edmonton injury lawsuits are filed at the Edmonton Law Courts downtown on 97 Street, in the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta. Smaller claims may proceed in the Alberta Court of Justice. The sooner we start, the stronger your position.
Major trauma in Edmonton is treated at the University of Alberta Hospital, with the Royal Alexandra, Grey Nuns, and Misericordia hospitals also handling serious injuries. Keep every record, requisition, and receipt from your treatment: medical documentation is the backbone of your claim, and we help you build it correctly from day one.