La Vista DUI Accident Lawyer

Were you injured in a DUI accident in La Vista, NE?

At Ausman Law Firm P.C., L.L.O., we pursue full recovery for people injured by impaired drivers and for the families of those who were killed.

If an impaired driver injured you in La Vista, the crash usually leads to two separate cases. Prosecutors bring a criminal case to punish the driver, but that case is not designed to pay your medical bills or replace your lost income. Compensation comes from a civil claim, which a La Vista, NE DUI accident lawyer at our firm brings against the driver and the insurance companies involved.

Ausman Law Firm P.C., L.L.O. has handled car accident cases for 24 years, always for the injured person. Your first consultation with us is free.

DUI Accident Lawyer La Vista, NE

A DUI accident lawyer represents people who were hurt by a drunk or drugged driver, along with families who lost someone in such a crash. This is civil representation, separate from prosecuting or defending the criminal charge. We use evidence from the police investigation, such as the arrest report and chemical test results, to prove the driver’s fault and recover compensation from every available insurance policy.

Alcohol-impaired driving killed 11,904 people in the United States in 2024, according to NHTSA crash data. Drunk drivers are involved in about 30 percent of all traffic deaths nationwide.

Types of DUI Accident Cases We Handle in La Vista

Impaired drivers cause certain kinds of crashes more often than sober drivers because alcohol slows reaction time and weakens judgment. That effect begins early, and CDC impaired driving research notes that impairment starts at blood alcohol levels below the .08 limit most states use. Our La Vista DUI accident attorneys represent clients in all of these cases.

• Head-on collisions. An impaired driver who drifts across the center line can strike oncoming traffic at full speed. These crashes cause severe injuries, including brain injuries and multiple fractures.
• Wrong-way crashes. Intoxicated drivers sometimes enter a divided road or a highway ramp in the wrong direction. The collisions that result happen at highway speed and often involve several vehicles.
• Rear-end collisions. Slowed reaction time keeps an impaired driver from braking for stopped traffic. Vehicle data and the absence of skid marks help show that the driver never reacted.
• Intersection crashes. Drunk drivers run red lights and stop signs and strike other vehicles from the side. Traffic camera footage and video from nearby businesses can confirm who had the right of way.
• Pedestrian accidents. People on foot have no protection when an impaired driver leaves the travel lane or misses a crosswalk. These crashes often happen at night, and the driver’s insurer sometimes tries to blame poor visibility on the person who was hit.
• Hit-and-run crashes. Some impaired drivers leave the scene to avoid arrest. Your own uninsured motorist coverage can pay the claim if the driver is never identified.
• Crashes that injure passengers. A passenger hurt while riding with an impaired driver has a claim against that driver’s insurance. Injured passengers can also have claims under other policies, including their own.
• Fatal crashes. When an impaired driver kills someone, the personal representative of the estate can bring a wrongful death claim for the surviving family.

Why Choose Ausman Law Firm P.C., L.L.O. as my DUI Accident Lawyer in La Vista, NE?

Experience With Serious Car Accident Claims

DUI crashes tend to cause serious injuries, and serious car accident cases are the core of our practice. Our founder, Jason Ausman, has been licensed in Nebraska since 2001 and has represented people injured in car accidents throughout that time. He has led the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys as its president, and the American College of Trial Lawyers has named him a Fellow. That background matters when a claim involves several insurance policies and a pending criminal case, as DUI crash claims often do. We do not represent insurance companies or the drivers they cover.

Compensation Recovered for Clients and Families

We have recovered millions of dollars for clients and their families. In car accident cases, those results include one recovery of $1.8 million and another of $600,000. A wrongful death claim we handled ended in a $1.2 million recovery for the family. Our fee is contingent on the outcome, which means we are paid only if your claim succeeds.

What Is Important to Understand About a DUI Accident Case?

What Are Important Aspects of a DUI Accident Case?

The criminal case and your civil claim move on separate tracks, but they share evidence. Police reports, breath or blood test results, and body camera video from the arrest all help in proving negligence in the civil claim. A conviction or guilty plea strengthens that proof further. A civil claim can still succeed without a conviction, because the standard of proof in a civil case is lower than in a criminal case.

Insurance coverage is often the limiting factor. An impaired driver’s liability policy does not always cover the full cost of a serious injury, and the underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy can make up part of the difference. Insurers on both sides look for ways to reduce what they pay, so we review every applicable policy before negotiations begin.

Support is also available while the prosecution is pending. The Sarpy County Attorney’s Victim/Witness Unit gives crime victims information, practical assistance, and counseling referrals at no cost.

What Is The DUI Accident Case Timeline?

Nebraska sets a four-year filing deadline for personal injury lawsuits, measured from the date of the crash. A wrongful death claim has a shorter deadline of two years from the date of death.

Most of the early activity in a civil claim happens outside the courtroom. The criminal case usually begins within days of the arrest, while your claim starts with our investigation and continues through your medical treatment. Once your doctors can describe your long-term outlook, we send a settlement demand to the insurers. If negotiations do not produce a fair offer, we file a lawsuit, and the case proceeds through discovery and trial.

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for DUI Accident Cases

Driving while impaired breaches the duty of care that every driver owes to others on the road. Once that breach and its connection to your injuries are proven, Nebraska law allows you to recover several kinds of compensation.

• Medical expenses. Compensation covers emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, and treatment you will need in the future.
• Lost income. You can recover wages lost during recovery and the loss of earning ability if your injuries are permanent.
• Pain and suffering. Nebraska allows compensation for physical pain, mental suffering, and the loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful death losses. A family can recover for the loss of a relative’s financial support, care, and companionship.
• Shared fault. Under Nebraska’s comparative negligence rule, your compensation is reduced by your share of fault and is barred if that share equals or exceeds the fault of the parties you are suing. Insurers sometimes raise this defense against a passenger who knew the driver had been drinking.

Most Dangerous Locations for DUI Accidents in La Vista, NE

The roads that connect La Vista’s restaurants, hotels, and event venues carry most of the city’s late-night traffic. Three streets stand out.

• 84th Street. 84th Street runs past City Centre and The Astro, a concert venue that draws large evening crowds.
• Giles Road. Giles Road serves the Southport area, where several hotels and a conference center sit close to Interstate 80.
• 72nd Street. 72nd Street is a north-south commuter route on the east side of the city, and it crosses both Harrison Street and Giles Road.

Two highways add higher speeds to that traffic.

• Interstate 80. Interstate 80 borders La Vista on the west and carries traffic to and from Omaha at all hours.
• Nebraska Highway 370. Highway 370 runs through Papillion just south of La Vista and connects the area to Bellevue and Interstate 80.

What Should You Bring to Your DUI Accident Consultation?

A few documents let us evaluate your claim at the first meeting.

• Your Nebraska crash report or its case number shows which agency investigated and whether the driver was arrested.
• Any notice from the county attorney about the criminal case tells us the charge and the court dates.
• Your auto insurance policy shows whether you have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
• Medical records and bills document your injuries and the cost of treatment so far.

During the free consultation, we explain how your claim relates to the criminal case and tell you candidly which insurance policies we expect to pay and where coverage could fall short.

Reach Out to Ausman Law Firm P.C., L.L.O. to Schedule a Consultation

You do not have to wait for the criminal case to end before speaking with us about compensation. Ausman Law Firm P.C., L.L.O. offers a free consultation and handles these claims on a contingency fee. We respond promptly to new inquiries from La Vista, NE and the surrounding area. Contact us to schedule your consultation with a DUI accident attorney.