What to Do After a Suspected Drunk Driving Crash
If you suspect a driver was impaired, tell responders the specific conduct you observed: erratic movement, statements, odor or behavior, with the time and witness. Do not turn suspicion into a diagnosis or a finding of intoxication. Seek appropriate care and document the collision as you would any other crash. A DUI investigation or charge and an injury claim involve different questions; neither automatically establishes every element of civil responsibility or a particular recovery.
Hurt Advice editorial guide. Source review: . This guide does not state that the attorney authored, reviewed or approved it. Visit the profile for public licensing and background records.
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Raffi Naljian
Founder, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Attorney
Raffi Garabed Naljian is the founder of Naljian Law Offices and an active California attorney under State Bar #238919. A Los Angeles Times profile says he founded the firm in 2008 after beginning his legal career in 1997, and the State Bar lists personal injury, litigation, criminal law, and business law among his self-reported practice areas.
View Raffi Naljian's full verified profilePrimary identity record
Learn more about Raffi Naljian
This is a focused supporting page. Use Raffi Naljian's full sourced attorney profile as the primary identity record for biography, role, languages, office information, and public-record links. Review that profile alongside the issue-specific preparation and public sources below.
The State Bar record lists Raffi Garabed Naljian as an active California attorney, State Bar #238919. Hurt Advice is a separate referral and legal information service, not the attorney's law firm.
How to Evaluate Attorney Fit for This Issue
A case review should identify the investigating agency, crash sequence, available witnesses and evidence of injury and coverage. Ask which official record might establish what the driver did and how it relates to the crash. Do not assume the vehicle came from a bar, or that every alcohol seller can be sued.
Consultation worksheet
Suspected impairment observation worksheet
Separate a direct observation from an inference or later report. This is a factual record, not a sobriety assessment.
There is no submit or save action. Copy your notes before leaving this page.
Where and when did the collision occur, and what movements are supported by scene evidence?
Exactly what did you or a named witness see, hear or smell, and from what position?
Which agency investigated, what report number was assigned, and who holds camera or body-camera records if any?
Which act is alleged to have caused the crash, and what additional record would test that claim?
Sources for this guide
- California Vehicle Code section 23152
Primary impaired-driving provision; a violation alone does not answer all civil questions.
- California Vehicle Code section 23153
Separate primary provision addressing injury-causing impaired-driving offenses.
- California Business and Professions Code section 25602.1
Primary text for a narrow exception concerning alcohol service; avoids a blanket claim against every seller.
- California Highway Patrol: Collision report request (CHP 190)
Explains who may request a CHP-investigated collision report and the information used to locate that record.
- California Department of Insurance: So You Have Had an Accident
Official accident and auto-claim guidance on safety, exchanging information, documenting a collision, and contacting an insurer.
- California DMV: Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1)
Explains when the separate DMV accident report is required, what information it needs, and the applicable timing.
What to Do Next
- 1Address injuries and safety; report the crash and any specific observations that led to the impairment concern.
- 2Record the driver’s movements, statements and the position of witnesses or cameras without confronting or following the person.
- 3Keep the police or CHP report number and ask the agency how a proper party may request the collision report; preserve original dashcam and scene files.
- 4Document treatment and insurer communications separately from any criminal-case update; check the DMV reporting criteria for a qualifying traffic crash.
Evidence Checklist
- Contemporaneous notes distinguishing firsthand behavior from what another person later said
- Witness positions, original video, vehicle damage, scene images and report number
- Any written agency disposition you are entitled to receive, without assuming a charge or conviction
- Treatment chronology, policy information and written insurer responses
Keep your unanswered questions handy when comparing the attorney’s public profile with your needs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Calling a driver “drunk” as a proven fact based only on a collision pattern
- Waiting for a criminal prosecution to conclude before reviewing civil evidence or deadlines
- Assuming arrest or conviction automatically resolves causation or damages in the injury case
- Assuming any bar or restaurant connected to the driver is automatically liable
How the Process Typically Works
Report observable facts
Give responders the behaviors seen and their source while preserving immediate safety.
Separate the records
Track the collision report, any available criminal status, original video and medical records independently.
Review the civil issue
Compare actual driving conduct, causation, loss and insurance without relying on a criminal label alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a DUI charge prove who caused my collision?
No. Vehicle Code sections 23152 and 23153 address criminal impaired-driving offenses. Civil responsibility, causal connection and losses still require the relevant facts and evidence.
Should I wait for a criminal result before addressing insurance?
Do not assume the criminal process controls the timing of insurance notices or civil claims. Keep the collision, treatment and insurer records current, and obtain deadline advice for your situation.
Can I always sue the place that served alcohol?
No. California places significant limits on alcohol-seller liability, with narrow exceptions. The source of alcohol should not be invented from the crash record.
Use the attorney’s public background as a starting point for a direct conversation about fit.
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Important Disclosures
Attorney Advertising. Hurt Advice is a lawyer-referral and legal-information service, not a law firm. This website provides general information, not legal advice. Viewing a page or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Independent participating attorneys decide whether to accept a matter, and representation begins only under a separate written agreement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome; results depend on the facts and circumstances of each matter.