Phoenix Drunk Driving Accident Attorney

Fighting for Drunk Driving Accident Victims in Arizona

The driver who hit you made a choice. They chose to get behind the wheel knowing they were impaired. That choice has consequences, and not just the criminal kind. 
Arizona gives drunk driving victims legal tools that most car accident cases simply don’t have access to. Punitive damages. Dram shop liability against the bar or restaurant that kept pouring. A criminal investigation producing evidence that your civil attorney can use. When these cases are handled right, the difference in what you recover can be significant.

At Rafi Law Group, we handle drunk driving injury cases throughout the Phoenix metro. We investigate fast, pursue available sources of recovery, and evaluate what your injuries actually cost, now and down the road.

What Drunk Driving Looks like on Phoenix Roads

Phoenix sees a significant share of Arizona’s alcohol-related crash toll. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s 2024 Crash Facts report, there were 1,351 alcohol-related crashes in Phoenix in 2024, resulting in 95 deaths and 822 injuries. Statewide, ADOT recorded 5,520 alcohol-related crashes that year, with 347 deaths and 3,576 injuries.

Understanding this geography matters for a DUI accident claim. Evidence in drunk driving cases, such as surveillance footage from nearby businesses, traffic camera data, or dashcam video from surrounding vehicles, has a short window before it disappears. Where and when your crash happened shapes how we investigate and what we pursue.

Evidence Preservation After a Phoenix Drunk Driving Crash

Acting quickly after an impaired-driving crash can make a meaningful difference in what evidence remains available. Potential evidence in these cases includes the crash report, photographs, vehicle damage documentation, medical records, witness statements, toxicology information, field-sobriety records, and any alcohol-purchase or service records from an establishment the driver visited before the crash.

Video footage and business records are particularly time-sensitive. Surveillance systems at bars, restaurants, and nearby businesses often overwrite footage within days. Our attorneys send preservation letters and pursue evidence from alcohol-serving establishments when a dram shop claim may exist. We can also request traffic-camera data and seek dashcam footage from vehicles in the area. The availability and admissibility of any specific evidence depend on the facts, the investigating agencies, and applicable court rules, but the window for securing that evidence doesn’t stay open long.

Why Drunk Driving Cases Can Recover More than Standard Accidents

In a typical car accident claim, the goal is to make you whole by recovering what the crash cost you financially, physically, and emotionally. Drunk driving cases can go further than that, and the reason comes down to one word: intent.

Arizona courts can award punitive damages when a defendant’s conduct reflects what the law calls an “evil mind”: the defendant intended to cause harm, acted with spite, or engaged in conduct so outrageous it created a substantial risk of tremendous harm to others. This is a high bar that requires clear and convincing evidence, but choosing to drive while severely impaired can support that showing. When the driver’s BAC was substantially elevated, when they had prior DUI convictions, or when they showed clear awareness that they were unfit to drive and got behind the wheel anyway, the foundation for punitive damages is often strong.

Not every drunk driving case qualifies for punitive damages, and we won’t overstate your chances. Punitive damages are fact-dependent and require a legally sufficient showing that goes beyond ordinary negligence. But we evaluate every case for that argument from the start, because when the facts support it, it can materially affect the claim. Talk to our team about what the facts in your case could support.

Recovering Damages After an Impaired-Driving Crash

A DUI accident claim can pursue both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover the measurable losses: past and future medical treatment, lost income, reduced earning capacity, and property damage such as your vehicle. Non-economic damages address what doesn’t come with a receipt, including physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium where applicable.

While every case is unique, our attorneys can help you pursue compensation for losses, including:

• Medical bills and future care costs
• Therapy and rehabilitation
• Lost income from missed work and reduced earning capacity
• Vehicle and property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Bereavement and emotional distress

We evaluate the full effect of your injuries rather than limiting the claim to immediate medical bills. The long-term impact on your work, daily life, and relationships is part of the picture we build before any negotiation begins.

The Bar That Overserved May Be Liable Too

Here is something most people don’t know when they’re first dealing with a drunk driving injury: the driver may not be the only party you can hold accountable.

Arizona Revised Statutes § 4-311 may allow a civil claim against a licensed alcohol establishment, such as a bar, restaurant, hotel lounge, event venue, or liquor store, that serves alcohol to someone who is obviously intoxicated, or to anyone under 21, when the statutory requirements are met. If that person then gets behind the wheel and injures you, the establishment may share legal responsibility for what happened.

“Obviously intoxicated” under Arizona law means the person was inebriated to such an extent that their physical faculties were substantially impaired, as shown by significantly uncoordinated physical action or significant physical dysfunction that would have been obvious to a reasonable person. It does not require a BAC test at the point of service. What it requires is evidence that the signs were there and the establishment kept serving anyway.

A dram shop claim requires proof of the statutory elements and is not established merely because the driver consumed alcohol at a licensed location. Potential evidence may include witness accounts, receipts, surveillance footage, transaction records, employee observations, and the driver’s timeline before the crash. Claims involving private social hosts generally fall outside A.R.S. § 4-311 and are governed by different rules than those that apply to licensed establishments.

Why Does Pursuing the Establishment Matter?

A commercial establishment’s liability policy may differ from an individual driver’s auto coverage. When both parties may be liable, additional insurance coverage may be relevant. Additionally, the criminal investigation into the driver may produce evidence such as toxicology reports, a timeline of events, and witness accounts that may support an Arizona dram shop liability claim against an establishment that served the driver.

Insurance Coverage & Sources of Recovery

After an impaired-driving crash, understanding the available insurance coverage is an important part of evaluating the full claim. A DUI accident claim may involve multiple sources: the at-fault driver’s liability policy, an alcohol establishment’s applicable liability coverage, and the injured person’s own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage when the policy and facts permit.

Insurers may request recorded statements, medical records, releases, or access to other information before acknowledging the full value of a claim. Coverage, policy limits, exclusions, and the interaction among multiple policies all require review of the applicable documents and the specific facts. We seek to identify available sources of recovery in drunk driving injury cases and handle communications with insurers so that what you say and what you provide is considered in full context, not in isolation.

Why Choose Rafi Law Group?

Phoenix attorney Brandon Rafi has dedicated his practice to helping those who have been injured through no fault of their own. This strict focus on personal injury law makes him keenly familiar with the laws and codes surrounding car accidents, including those involving drunk drivers.

Contact Our Phoenix Drunk Driving Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one was injured by a drunk driver, you don’t have to face the aftermath alone. Our drunk driving accident attorney in Phoenix can help you understand your options, protect your legal rights, and pursue compensation for your injuries and losses. From investigating the crash to dealing with insurance companies, legal support can make a real difference during this difficult time. Contact an experienced Phoenix drunk driving accident attorney today for a confidential consultation and take the first step toward justice and recovery.

Skilled Legal Representation in Central Phoenix! Let our Phoenix drunk driving accident lawyer show you the difference you will experience when you choose Attorney Brandon Rafi to represent you; contact Rafi Law Group for help today!

Questions Clients Ask After a Drunk Driving Accident