Hit by a Drunk Driver in Granada Hills: Your Legal Options
Being hit by a drunk driver is not an accident in the ordinary sense. Someone made a decision to drink, to get behind the wheel, and to drive through your neighborhood. That decision put you in the hospital, took you off your feet, and changed your daily life. Whatever the criminal justice system does with that driver, you have your own set of legal rights, and in a DUI case, those rights are stronger than in a typical car accident.
This article is written for people who were just hit by a drunk driver in Granada Hills. It explains what happens legally, what evidence matters most, and why your civil case and the driver's criminal case are two completely separate tracks.
Why Granada Hills Sees Drunk Driving Crashes
Granada Hills is primarily a residential community, but Balboa Blvd and Chatsworth St serve as major arterials that connect it to the broader San Fernando Valley. Restaurants and bars are scattered along Chatsworth St and near the commercial corridors along Zelzah Ave. LAPD Devonshire Division handles DUI enforcement throughout Granada Hills and runs periodic checkpoints in the area.
Late-night crashes on Balboa Blvd, Chatsworth St, and the residential streets connecting them are a known pattern. Drivers leaving bars in neighboring communities and passing through Granada Hills on Balboa Blvd are part of that pattern. The mix of a high-speed boulevard and quiet residential streets creates conditions where a drunk driver can cause devastating harm before anyone sees them coming.
When a driver is arrested for DUI after hitting you, LAPD Devonshire generates an arrest report and the driver's blood alcohol content (BAC) is recorded, either through a breathalyzer at the scene or a blood draw at the station. That BAC reading becomes one of the most important pieces of evidence in your civil case.
If your crash happened on a freeway, California Highway Patrol handles the investigation. The CHP report will document any DUI arrest and field sobriety test results.
If you were taken to the emergency room, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center at 15031 Rinaldi St in Mission Hills is the primary hospital serving Granada Hills. Your medical records from Providence Holy Cross document the nature and severity of your injuries and establish the causal link to the crash, both of which are critical to your civil case.
Your Civil Case and the Criminal Case Are Separate
One of the most common mistakes DUI accident victims make is waiting for the criminal case to finish before pursuing a civil claim. That is not necessary and waiting can hurt you.
In California, you can file a civil personal injury lawsuit against a drunk driver regardless of where the criminal case stands. The criminal case is the state prosecuting the driver for a crime. Your civil case is you suing the driver for your injuries and losses. These are two separate proceedings with different standards of proof.
A guilty plea or conviction is powerful evidence in your civil case, but you do not need it. Evidence gets stale while you wait. Witnesses forget what they saw. Surveillance footage from bars and businesses on Chatsworth St gets overwritten within days. The sooner your attorney gets involved, the stronger your evidence position will be.
Our Granada Hills drunk driver accident lawyers know how to move quickly while the criminal process is still unfolding and how to use every piece of DUI evidence to maximum effect in your civil claim.
What to Do Right Now
Get a full medical evaluation at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. Even if you left the scene feeling functional, get checked out. Adrenaline masks pain and internal injuries can take hours or days to show symptoms. Your ER records from Providence Holy Cross are foundational evidence in your case.
Get the police report. If LAPD Devonshire Division responded to the scene on a Granada Hills street, contact them to obtain the report. The report will include the driver's BAC, any charges filed, and the officer's initial fault assessment.
Document your injuries and the scene. Photograph your injuries immediately, and again as bruising and swelling develop over the following days. Photograph the accident scene, including vehicle positions, skid marks, and the surrounding area. Note the time of the crash, as late-night timing helps corroborate intoxication.
Do not speak to the drunk driver's insurance company. Their insurer will contact you quickly. They are not on your side. Do not give a recorded statement. Refer them to your attorney.
Preserve all receipts and records. Medical bills, prescription costs, vehicle repair or replacement costs, and documentation of missed work should be saved from day one.
Punitive Damages: What Makes DUI Cases Different
California law allows courts to award punitive damages when the defendant's conduct shows a conscious disregard for the safety of others. Driving under the influence qualifies. Courts and juries in Los Angeles County have consistently held that choosing to drink and drive meets that standard.
Punitive damages are not tied to your economic losses. They exist to punish the defendant and deter similar conduct. In serious DUI cases, punitive damages can be substantial, sometimes exceeding the compensatory damages awarded for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. This is one of the primary reasons drunk driver cases can be worth significantly more than typical car accident cases.
If the driver who hit you on Balboa Blvd or Chatsworth St had a BAC well above the legal limit of 0.08 percent, had prior DUI convictions, or was driving at excessive speed through residential streets, the punitive damages argument becomes even stronger.
Dram Shop Liability: Can You Sue the Bar?
California has limited dram shop liability, but it exists. Under California Business and Professions Code Section 25602.1, a bar or restaurant can be held liable for damages caused by an obviously intoxicated person if they continued serving that person knowing they would be driving.
The key phrase is "obviously intoxicated." This requires evidence of the driver's visible condition at the time they were being served. Bar surveillance footage, credit card receipts showing drink purchases, witness statements from bartenders or other patrons, and the driver's BAC at the time of the crash are all relevant evidence. Your attorney will send preservation letters to area establishments immediately to prevent this evidence from being destroyed.
If a minor under 21 was served alcohol, California law under Business and Professions Code Section 25658 imposes stricter liability on the serving establishment. Social host liability also applies when a private individual served alcohol to a minor who then caused a crash.
Underinsured Motorist Coverage
California requires drivers to carry minimum liability insurance of $15,000 per person. For serious injuries requiring treatment at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, that is rarely enough. If the at-fault driver is underinsured, your own underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage can fill the gap. If your damages exceed the drunk driver's policy limit and you carry UIM coverage, your insurer pays the difference up to your own policy limit.
Making a UIM claim involves negotiation with your own insurance company. They have a financial incentive to pay as little as possible, even though you pay premiums for this coverage. Having an attorney handle the UIM process matters.
What Compensation Is Available
In a drunk driver case in Granada Hills, your compensation can include:
Medical expenses: Emergency care at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, surgeries, hospitalizations, rehabilitation, and all future medical costs.
Lost wages and earning capacity: Income lost during recovery and reduced future earning capacity if your injuries are long-term.
Pain and suffering: Physical pain, emotional trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and reduced quality of life. California does not cap these damages.
Property damage: Vehicle repair or replacement and personal property damaged in the crash.
Punitive damages: Additional damages beyond your actual losses, available specifically because the driver was impaired.
Drunk driver cases in Granada Hills and Los Angeles County have resulted in settlements and verdicts ranging from $150,000 to $700,000 and beyond, depending on injury severity and the strength of the punitive damages claim. Cases are filed at the Chatsworth Courthouse, which serves the North San Fernando Valley.
Act Now
The driver who hit you had no right to be on the road. You have every right to hold them fully accountable for what they did.
L&F Brown represents DUI accident victims throughout Granada Hills and Los Angeles County. We handle evidence gathering, insurance negotiations, and litigation so you can focus on recovering. No fees unless we win.
Learn more about our work for injury victims at our Granada Hills personal injury page.
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