Temecula Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Temecula Drunk Driving Accident Attorney

A drunk driving crash turns your life upside down fast. You are dealing with pain, medical appointments, a damaged car, and missed paychecks, all while the bills keep arriving. You did not choose this, and you should not have to pay for someone else’s decision to get behind the wheel impaired.

A Temecula drunk driving accident lawyer at Duque & Price can help you hold that driver and their insurance company accountable.

Brent A. Duque has been licensed to practice law in California since 2005. He has spent more than 20 years representing injured clients across Southern California, with offices in Costa Mesa, Riverside, Los Angeles, and Temecula.

A drunk driving injury claim should be built around the full cost of your medical care, lost income, and recovery, not whatever number the insurance company offers first. Reach out today, and you can start getting real answers about what your claim is worth while you focus on getting better.

What a Temecula Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Can Recover for You

Public awareness campaigns and the threat of jail time have not stopped drunk driving crashes, and families in Temecula and across southwest Riverside County still deal with the damage every year.

If a drunk driver hurt you, you have the right to pursue a civil case against that driver, separate from whatever happens in the criminal case the district attorney files. The criminal case and your case are not the same thing. The state prosecutes the drunk driver for breaking the law.

A civil claim is how you pursue the full cost of what the crash did to you, beyond any repayment a criminal court orders. That compensation, called damages, can include your medical bills, lost wages, permanent disability, disfigurement, and in the worst cases, a wrongful death claim for a family that lost a loved one.

A Temecula drunk driving accident lawyer at our firm can walk you through which of these apply to your situation and what evidence each one requires. A conviction, plea deal, or sentence does not decide what your injuries are worth. If you want full compensation, you have to pursue it yourself through a civil claim.

Proving Fault After a Temecula DUI Crash

Every driver owes other drivers a duty to drive safely and follow traffic laws. To win a civil claim, you have to show the other driver broke that duty and that the break caused your injuries. Because driving drunk breaks California law, courts can presume the driver was negligent.

You still have to show that the drunk driving caused your injuries, and you need medical records, bills, and testimony to prove your damages.

California Vehicle Code Section 23152 makes it illegal to drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Evidence from that criminal case, like a breath test or an officer’s report, often strengthens your civil claim even though the two cases proceed on separate tracks.

Civil cases use a lower burden of proof than criminal cases, which is part of why a civil claim can succeed even when the criminal case ends in a plea deal or a lighter sentence.

Missing a filing deadline or failing to prove even one element can sink an otherwise strong claim, which is why getting an experienced attorney involved early can make a real difference.

Wrongful Death Claims After a Fatal Temecula Drunk Driving Accident

When a drunk driver kills someone, the surviving family can bring a wrongful death claim. That claim can seek funeral and burial costs, medical bills tied to the fatal injury, and the income the family reasonably expected to lose.

California’s wrongful death law limits who can file this kind of claim to specific family members, generally a surviving spouse or domestic partner, children, or, if none exist, whoever would inherit under state law. A wrongful death count is usually filed alongside other claims in the same lawsuit rather than as a separate case.

California law generally gives you two years to file a lawsuit, counted from the date of the crash for your own injuries or from the date of death for a wrongful death claim. That window can be shorter when a government vehicle or employee was involved, so it is worth having a case reviewed well before any deadline gets close.

This information reflects California law as of October 2026.

When the Drunk Driver Has No Insurance

California law requires every driver to carry auto insurance, but plenty of drivers on the road in Temecula do not. Getting hit by an uninsured driver is exactly what uninsured motorist coverage, often called UM coverage, is built for.

UM coverage typically pays for injuries to you, your family members, and your passengers when the at-fault driver has no insurance at all. California does not require drivers to carry UM coverage themselves, though most insurers offer it and many policies include it by default.

Filing a UM claim means dealing with your own insurance company, and that company still has its own bottom line to protect.

Many people assume their insurer will simply pay what they are owed once a claim is filed, but UM claims can get contested and delayed just like third-party claims. You should not have to go up against your own insurer’s adjusters and lawyers without someone in your corner.

When the Drunk Driver’s Insurance Isn’t Enough

Even when a drunk driver carries insurance, it may not come close to covering what the crash cost you. California raised its minimum liability insurance requirements on January 1, 2025, from $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident to $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident. It was the first increase to the state’s minimum in nearly six decades.

That is still not much once you add up emergency care, surgery, physical therapy, and lost income from a serious crash. Underinsured motorist coverage exists for exactly this gap. If your damages total $150,000 and the drunk driver’s policy caps out at $30,000 per person, UIM coverage can make up the difference, up to your own policy’s limit.

Your own insurance company may dispute a UIM claim just as it would a stranger’s claim.

Why Temecula Drunk Driving Accident Victims Turn to Duque & Price

Duque & Price keeps an office in Temecula in addition to locations in Costa Mesa, Riverside, and Los Angeles. The firm helps drunk driving crash victims across Southern California, not just one city.

Brent A. Duque speaks both English and Spanish. That matters when a crash involves witnesses or family members who are more comfortable speaking Spanish.

Attorney Matthew R. Price holds a 10.0 Avvo Rating, the platform’s highest tier. He earned his law degree cum laude from Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law and joined the firm in 2013 after clerking in civil litigation.

Attorney Jordan H. Davidoff spent his early career defending insurance companies in injury lawsuits before switching in 2014 to represent injured people. That gives him insight into how insurance companies handle injury claims from the other side.

That defense-side experience gives the firm a look at both sides of a claim before the insurance company ever makes an offer.

Where Your Case Will Be Heard: Riverside County Courts Serving Temecula

Temecula contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement, and deputies there operate under the Temecula Police Department name. Deputies assigned to Temecula typically respond to and investigate local DUI crashes before handing off the report for the civil or criminal case.

Civil lawsuits arising from a Temecula crash are generally filed with the Riverside County Superior Court at the Menifee Justice Center, located at 27401 Menifee Center Drive in Menifee. That courthouse handles civil cases for Temecula and the surrounding area. DUI criminal cases from Temecula are typically heard at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

A drunk driving injury claim is a separate civil case from any DUI prosecution, so it typically goes through the Menifee Justice Center even when the same crash also leads to criminal charges in a different courthouse.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need a lawyer if the drunk driver already pleaded guilty to DUI?

A: A guilty plea in the criminal case does not cover the full cost of your injuries. You still have to file your own civil claim to recover medical bills, lost income, and other damages, and a plea or conviction can sometimes support that claim as evidence.

Q: What if the drunk driver who hit me was driving a borrowed or company car?

A: The vehicle’s owner may share liability under California’s rules for permitted use of a vehicle, and if the driver was working at the time, their employer could also be responsible. This is worth having reviewed early, since it can open up additional insurance coverage.

Q: Can I still recover damages if I was partly at fault for the crash?

A: California allows injured people to recover damages even if they share some fault, though the court reduces the award by your percentage of responsibility. A drunk driver’s impairment is often a major factor in how fault gets divided.

Q: How much is my Temecula drunk driving accident claim worth?

A: It depends on your medical bills, lost income, the severity and permanence of your injuries, and the available insurance coverage. There is no set formula, and a case review is the only way to get a realistic number for your specific situation.

Q: What happens if the drunk driver has no assets and minimal insurance?

A: If the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, your own policy’s UM or UIM coverage often becomes the main source of recovery. It is worth checking your policy’s limits even if you assume you will never need that coverage.

Q: Does it cost anything to talk to a lawyer about my case?

A: Duque & Price works on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees upfront and the firm is paid only if you recover compensation. A consultation to review your case is free.

Q: Will my case go to trial?

A: Most drunk driving injury claims settle before trial once liability and damages are clear. Any case should be prepared as if it might go in front of a jury.

Q: Who investigates a DUI crash that happens in Temecula?

A: Temecula contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for police services. Deputies assigned to the city, operating under the Temecula Police Department name, typically respond to and investigate local crashes. The resulting case is generally filed in Riverside County courts.

Talk to a Temecula Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Today

You should not have to manage medical bills, insurance adjusters, and a damaged car on your own after a crash you did not cause. A Temecula drunk driving accident lawyer at Duque & Price can review what happened, look for the insurance coverage that may be available, and handle the claim while you focus on recovering.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and find out what your case may be worth.