--- description: DC personal injury lawyers explain how drunk driving affects auto accident claims and the rights of victims to recover compensation. title: Drunk Driving Accident Lawsuits | DC Lawyers canonical: https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/2016/04/how-does-drunk-driving-affect-an-auto-accident-lawsuit-in-dc/ date_published: 2016-04-08T14:39:00+00:00 date_modified: 2025-08-13T02:06:17+00:00 practice_area: auto-accident --- - Drunk Driving Accident Lawsuits | DC Lawyers [Back to CSCS Blog](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/) # How Does Drunk Driving Affect An Auto Accident Lawsuit in DC [Home](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/) » [Recent Posts](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/) » How Does Drunk Driving Affect An Auto Accident Lawsuit in DC [April 8, 2016](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/2016/04/08/) - [Car Accidents](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/category/practice-areas/car-accidents/) In our work, we sometimes help clients who have been injured in auto accidents caused by [drunk drivers](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/car-accidents/drunk-driving-accidents/). How a DUI can affect the value of a D.C. auto accident case is an interesting and [controversial issue.](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/2016/10/d-c-court-of-appeals-rules-on-the-scope-of-the-last-clear-chance-doctrine-in-auto-accident-cases/) Everyone agrees, of course, that if a driver was DUI at the time of an [auto accident](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/car-accidents/), that this is strong evidence that the accident was the drunk driver’s fault. But what if the driver admits that the accident was his or her fault – does the DUI still play any role in a lawsuit, then? The answer depends upon whether D.C. law authorizes an award of “punitive damages” in DUI auto accident lawsuits. The usual kind of damages awarded in a D.C. auto accident lawsuit are “compensatory damages,” meaning an award that is intended to compensate the victim for all losses. “Punitive damages,” on the other hand, are an extra award that is intended to [punish the wrongdoer.](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/2016/10/factors-that-affect-the-value-of-your-personal-injury-car-accident-case/) In Maryland, punitive damages cannot be awarded for drunk driving. In Virginia, the opposite is true. Where does D.C. fall? The answer is not settled. But under District law, punitive damages can be awarded when a person causes an accident through “reckless disregard” of the rights of other people – in other words, where the wrongdoer knows that he or she is doing something to put other people at risk, but does it anyway. Although D.C. courts have not definitively resolved this issue, we believe that “reckless disregard” clearly describes drunk driving, and so in D.C. auto accident cases involving a DUI we can seek punitive damages for our clients. If you have been injured by a drunk driver and need legal advice, you should [contact](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/contact-us/) the personal injury attorneys at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., for a free consultation. [Contact Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C.](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/contact-us/) by phone at (202) 659-8600 to get started with your personal injury claim. Find Something Interesting? Share This post Facebook X LinkedIn Email Print ## Get free advice about the compensation you deserve. At Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., our car accident attorneys fight tirelessly to secure the compensation you deserve, handling every aspect of your case to protect your rights. Trust us to stand by you and advocate aggressively on your behalf. [Free Consultation](#) #### In This Post ## Contact Us Today! "*" indicates required fields Name* First Last Name* Last Email** Phone*Are you a new client?*Are you a new client? *Yes, I'm a potential new client.No, I'm a current existing client.I'm neitherCase TypeCase TypeMotor Vehicle AccidentSlip & FallAssaultMedical MalpracticeAbuseWork InjuryOtherWere You at Fault?Were You At Fault?NoYesUnknownWhere Did The Incident Occur?Where Did The Incident Occur?Washington, D.C.VirginiaMarylandOtherDid The Accident Occur In the Last Two Years?Did The Accident Occur In the Last Two Years?YesNoShare Brief Description of the Incident* Send ## Recent Posts [Allan Siegel](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/author/asiegel/)08/22/2026 Partners Joseph Cammarata and Allan M. Siegel have again been... [Read More](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/2026/08/2026-super-lawyers-top-100-cammarata-siegel/) [Allan Siegel](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/author/asiegel/)08/21/2026 By Allan M. Siegel, Partner — Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata &... [Read More](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/2026/08/insurance-claim-denied/) [Allan Siegel](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/author/asiegel/)07/30/2026 Partner Allan M. Siegel represented two clients who were passengers... [Read More](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/2026/07/cscs-wins-780000-settlement-for-two-passengers/) [Allan Siegel](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/author/asiegel/)07/29/2026 Partner Allan M. Siegel served on the faculty of the... [Read More](https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/blog/2026/07/partner-allan-m-siegel-invited-to-serve-on-the-faculty-at-the-aajs-first-traumatic-brain-injury-college/) Load More ```json-ld {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"LegalService","@id":"https://chaikinandsherman.com/#firm","name":"Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel Personal Injury Lawyers","url":"https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/","telephone":"+1-202-659-8600","email":"publicrelations@dc-law.net","logo":"https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/new-logoBaskerville@2x.png","image":"https://www.chaikinandsherman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/cscs-firm-photo.jpg","description":"Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel is a Washington D.C. personal injury law firm with decades of experience representing accident victims throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia.","foundingDate":"1969","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"1232 17th St NW","addressLocality":"Washington","addressRegion":"DC","postalCode":"20036","addressCountry":"US"},"founder":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Joseph Chaikin","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"1232 17th St NW","addressLocality":"Washington","addressRegion":"DC","postalCode":"20036","addressCountry":"US"}},{"@type":"Person","name":"Ira Sherman","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"1232 17th St NW","addressLocality":"Washington","addressRegion":"DC","postalCode":"20036","addressCountry":"US"}}],"employee":[{"@type":"Attorney","name":"Allan M. 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