What to Do After Being Hit by a Drunk Driver in Sherman Oaks

Arya Firoozmand, Esq. — Founding Partner

Local Sherman Oaks Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Arya Firoozmand is the founding partner at L&F Brown. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley, graduated from El Camino Real High School and UCLA Law School, and has spent his career representing injured clients across the Valley — including Sherman Oaks and the 405 corridor.

Being hit by a drunk driver in Sherman Oaks is a traumatic experience that can cause serious physical injury and lasting emotional harm. The actions you take in the immediate aftermath are critical, both for your health and for your legal claim. Here is a step-by-step guide to protecting yourself after a DUI crash.

Step 1: Call 911 Immediately

Call 911 as soon as you are safely able. On local Sherman Oaks streets, LAPD Van Nuys Division will respond. On the 101, 405, or other freeways, the California Highway Patrol handles DUI crash investigations. Having law enforcement at the scene is essential: they will conduct a DUI investigation, administer sobriety tests, and potentially arrest the at-fault driver. The resulting police report and arrest records become critical evidence in your civil claim.

Do not let the other driver talk you out of calling 911. This is one of the most important things you can do to protect your rights.

Step 2: Observe the Drunk Driver's Condition

While waiting for police to arrive, note any signs of intoxication in the other driver: slurred speech, unsteady movement, the smell of alcohol, open containers in the vehicle, or confused or aggressive behavior. These observations support your account of events and may corroborate what officers find when they arrive. Tell the responding officer everything you observed.

Step 3: Seek Medical Care Immediately

Drunk driving crashes are often high-impact because impaired drivers frequently drive faster than conditions warrant, run red lights, or are unresponsive to traffic. Injuries including traumatic brain injury, internal bleeding, and spinal trauma may not be immediately apparent. Go to Sherman Oaks Hospital at 4929 Van Nuys Blvd or request ambulance transport to a trauma center. Medical records created on the day of the crash are essential evidence for your case.

Step 4: Document the Scene

If you are physically able, take photographs of:

• All vehicles involved and their positions on the road
• Damage to your vehicle
• Your visible injuries
• Any open alcohol containers in or near the at-fault vehicle
• The crash location, including nearby street signs and signals on Ventura Blvd, Van Nuys Blvd, or wherever the crash occurred

Security cameras from businesses along the Ventura Blvd or Sepulveda Blvd commercial strip may have captured the crash. Your attorney will request that footage before it is deleted.

Step 5: Get Witness Information

Other drivers or bystanders who observed the crash or the drunk driver's behavior beforehand may provide powerful testimony. Get names and phone numbers before people leave the scene. Their statements to police are also preserved in the report.

Step 6: Follow the Criminal Case

If the driver is arrested for DUI, a criminal prosecution will proceed through LA County courts. A conviction or guilty plea is admissible in your civil case. Your attorney will monitor the criminal proceedings and coordinate with the prosecution where appropriate to maximize the value of evidence available for your civil claim.

Step 7: Contact a Personal Injury Attorney

DUI accident victims have access to compensation beyond what is available in standard car accident cases, including punitive damages and potentially a dram shop claim against the establishment that overserved the driver. A Sherman Oaks drunk driver accident lawyer knows how to pursue every avenue of recovery.

Do not give recorded statements to any insurance company before speaking with an attorney. Even in cases where the other driver was clearly drunk, insurers will look for ways to minimize your payout.

Contact L&F Brown serving Sherman Oaks today for a free, confidential consultation. We fight for DUI accident victims throughout Sherman Oaks and the San Fernando Valley.