What to Do After Being Hit by a Drunk Driver in Newbury Park

Curt Brown, Esq. — Founding Partner

Local Newbury Park Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Curt Brown is a founding partner at L&F Brown. He grew up in Thousand Oaks — Newbury Park's neighbor — attended Thousand Oaks High School, graduated from UCLA Law School, and has spent his career representing injured residents across the Conejo Valley.

Being struck by a drunk driver in Newbury Park is a traumatic and confusing experience. In the moments after the crash, you may be in pain, in shock, or simply overwhelmed. Knowing in advance what steps to take can make an enormous difference in both your physical recovery and your ability to obtain full compensation for everything the impaired driver's recklessness cost you.

Step One: Call 911 Immediately

Your first call after any crash involving a suspected drunk driver should be to 911. Law enforcement must respond promptly in a DUI accident to conduct field sobriety testing and, if warranted, a chemical test, because this evidence is time-sensitive. Blood alcohol concentration decreases over time, and if police are not called immediately, critical evidence of the driver's impairment may be lost or reduced.

For crashes on US-101 through Newbury Park, the California Highway Patrol will respond. For crashes on local unincorporated streets like Wendy Drive, Borchard Road, or Reino Road, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office has jurisdiction. Either way, make clear to the 911 dispatcher that you believe the other driver was impaired.

Step Two: Do Not Interact More Than Necessary with the Drunk Driver

While waiting for law enforcement, limit your interaction with the other driver. Do not accept their apologies or engage in a conversation about what happened. Do not allow them to persuade you not to call the police. If the driver is dangerous or aggressive, stay in your vehicle with doors locked until officers arrive.

Step Three: Document Everything at the Scene

While waiting for law enforcement, and after they arrive, document everything you safely can. Photograph both vehicles and the damage, the positions of the vehicles in the roadway, any skid marks or debris, the crash location, and if the other driver appears impaired, note any observable signs: slurred speech, unsteady gait, or smell of alcohol. These observations, provided to the responding officer, support the DUI investigation.

Note the names and contact information of all witnesses. Bystanders may have observed the driver's condition before the crash, and their accounts can be valuable in both the criminal case and your civil claim.

Step Four: Seek Medical Care

Get medical evaluation as soon as possible after the crash, even if you feel relatively okay. Adrenaline masks pain, and injuries from car crashes, particularly those involving high forces, often take time to fully manifest. Los Robles Regional Medical Center at 215 W Janss Rd in Thousand Oaks is the nearest major emergency facility to Newbury Park and is equipped to handle serious crash-related injuries.

At the hospital, tell the treating physicians that your injuries resulted from a car accident with a suspected drunk driver. This establishes the causal connection in the medical record from the very start of your treatment, which is essential for your claim.

Step Five: Preserve All Evidence Related to the Crash

Keep copies of all police reports, hospital records, photographs, and communications. If you were near a business that might have surveillance footage of the crash or the area where the drunk driver was before the accident, note the location. An attorney can send a legal preservation demand to secure this footage before it is overwritten.

If the drunk driver drank at a local Newbury Park restaurant or bar, including establishments near Newbury Park Town Center, Holdren's Steak and Seafood, or Sumo Sushi, that information may be relevant to identifying third-party liability. Do not discard receipts or any other evidence that might help trace the driver's drinking history.

Step Six: Contact a Personal Injury Attorney Before Talking to Any Insurer

The drunk driver's insurance company may contact you quickly. Do not give a recorded statement or accept any settlement offer without first consulting an attorney. In DUI cases, where punitive damages may be available in addition to full compensatory damages, early settlement offers are almost certainly inadequate.

A personal injury attorney handles all communication with the insurer, preserves the evidence of intoxication, coordinates with the criminal case, and pursues the full value of your claim including any punitive damages your case may support. These are not standard steps that you can effectively manage while also recovering from a serious crash.

We Are Here to Help

Our Newbury Park drunk driver accident attorneys handle DUI injury cases throughout unincorporated Ventura County. We know the law, the courthouse, and the insurance tactics that these cases involve, and we fight for every dollar our clients are owed.

Visit our Newbury Park personal injury page or call L&F Brown today. Your consultation is free and there is no fee unless we recover for you. Do not let a drunk driver's recklessness go unanswered.