(718) 249-7447
Call Us Now
Injured by a drunk driver in Queens, New York? Our skilled drunk driver accident lawyers in Queens can help you recover financial compensation.
A drunk driver made a choice. You’re the one paying for it, with hospital bills, missed paychecks, and an insurer already looking for a reason to shrink your claim. Our law firm represents Queens residents hit by impaired drivers on the Van Wyck, the Grand Central Parkway, and every corridor in between.
Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, founded in 2015 by Chrissy Grigoropoulos, Esq., builds an airtight case using police reports, BAC results, and dram shop liability where it applies, serving clients from Ridgewood, the Bronx, and Hempstead in English, Spanish, Greek, French-Creole, and Korean.
Contact us today for a free consultation with our Queens drunk driver accident attorneys, no fee unless we win.
How Grigor Law Fights for You
From the moment you hire us, we go on offense.
- Immediate evidence preservation: We send spoliation letters the day we are retained to secure footage, records, and data before they disappear.
- Full damages benchmarking: We compare your injuries against New York and federal jury verdicts to make sure we demand what your case is actually worth.
- Trial-ready posture: Every case is prepared for a jury from day one, which forces insurers to negotiate seriously rather than lowball you.
- We come to you: If your injuries make travel impossible, we can visit you anywhere in the five boroughs, Long Island, or Westchester County.
What Makes Drunk Driving Cases Different in New York?
Being hit by a drunk driver is not a typical car accident. While the state pursues criminal charges against the driver, you have a separate right to file a civil injury claim for financial compensation. A guilty plea or conviction in that criminal case becomes powerful proof of negligence in your lawsuit.
This legal concept is called negligence per se, when a driver violates a safety law like New York’s DWI statute, that violation is treated as automatic proof of negligence.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for Your Injuries?
Drunk driving cases often involve more than one liable party, and pursuing all of them is how we maximize your recovery. Parties who may owe you compensation include:
- The drunk driver: Their bodily injury liability policy is the primary target of your injury claim.
- The bar or restaurant: Any establishment that over-served the driver may be held liable under the Dram Shop Act.
- The vehicle owner: If the driver was in someone else’s car, the owner’s policy may apply.
- Your own insurer: Your Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist (SUM) coverage steps in when the at-fault driver’s policy falls short.
Your No-Fault (PIP) policy covers your first $50,000 in medical bills and a portion of lost wages, but when injuries are serious, that coverage is rarely enough.
Can You Sue the Bar That Served the Driver?
Yes. New York’s Dram Shop Act (General Obligations Law § 11-101) allows you to sue any bar, restaurant, or club that sold alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person who then caused your injuries. To win, we must prove two things:
- The establishment served someone who was visibly drunk or under 21.
- That service directly contributed to causing the crash.
Bar receipts, credit card records, and security footage can be lost or overwritten if not preserved promptly. Acting fast is the difference between winning and losing this type of claim.
What our Queens drunk driver accident lawyers see in dram shop investigations out of Queens is that a bar’s own point-of-sale records, not just a bartender’s memory, are usually the clearest proof of over-service. We request those transaction logs and any security footage in the first week, before a restaurant’s standard retention policy cycles them out.
How We Prove the Driver Was Impaired
Insurance companies don’t settle fairly without proof. We build an airtight case using every piece of available evidence.
- BAC (blood alcohol content) test results and breathalyzer data from law enforcement
- The official police report and criminal court records
- Traffic camera and business surveillance footage from the scene
- Eyewitness statements from the crash and, when available, the establishment that served them
- Vehicle black box data and accident reconstruction expert reports
Insurers only negotiate seriously when they know the other side is prepared for a jury. That is exactly who we are.
A pattern we consistently see in Queens drunk driving claims is that the responding officer’s report often leans on the field sobriety test alone, without the BAC result attached yet.
We follow up directly with the precinct and the DA’s office to get the toxicology results into the file, because a documented BAC number is what turns a disputed liability argument into a settled one.
Critical Deadlines for Your Queens Drunk Driving Claim
Missing a single legal deadline in New York permanently eliminates your right to recover compensation, no matter how strong your case is.
| Claim Type | Deadline |
| No-Fault (PIP) Application | 30 days from crash |
| Personal Injury Lawsuit | 3 years from crash |
| Wrongful Death Lawsuit | 2 years from date of death |
| Claim Against a Government Entity | 90-day Notice of Claim |
The sooner we are involved, the sooner we start protecting those deadlines.
Can You Sue Outside of New York’s No-Fault System?
New York is a no-fault state, meaning your own insurance covers initial medical costs regardless of fault. To sue the drunk driver directly for pain and suffering, your injuries must meet what the law calls the serious injury threshold under New York Insurance Law § 5102(d).
Qualifying injuries include bone fractures, significant disfigurement, permanent loss of a body organ or function, long-term disability resulting from the crash, or death. Drunk driving accidents almost always produce injuries severe enough to clear this bar, which is what opens the door to a full personal injury lawsuit.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
Our car accident attorneys in Queens pursue two categories of damages, special damages, which cover your financial losses, and general damages, which compensate for the non-financial impact on your life.
Special damages include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Vehicle repair or replacement
General damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and PTSD
- Permanent disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Because drunk driving is an act of extreme recklessness, courts may also award punitive damages, extra compensation designed to punish the driver beyond your actual losses.
Common Injuries in Drunk Driving Crashes
Impaired drivers cause more violent, high-speed collisions than typical accidents. We regularly represent clients who have suffered:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and concussions
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Broken bones and complex fractures
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Severe burns and permanent scarring
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
In our experience handling impaired-driving injury claims, the crashes tend to be more violent than an ordinary rear-end collision because an intoxicated driver rarely brakes before impact. We bring in a treating physician early to document the full scope of a spinal or traumatic brain injury before letting an adjuster attach a number based on an incomplete ER record.
What Happens If the Driver Had No Insurance?
If the drunk driver is uninsured or fled the scene, your Uninsured Motorist (SUM) coverage acts as a substitute for their policy. If the driver has coverage but not enough to pay for your damages, your Underinsured Motorist (SUM) coverage fills the gap. We also pursue vehicle owners, employers, and dram shop defendants to close any remaining coverage holes.
What to Do After Being Hit By a Drunk Driver in Queens
The steps you take immediately after the crash have a direct impact on what your case is worth. Missing even one can cost you money.
Call 911 and Seek Medical Treatment
The police report and DWI arrest record are the foundation of your civil claim. See a doctor the same day, even if you feel fine, injuries like traumatic brain injuries and internal bleeding often take days to surface.
Don’t Give a Recorded Statement
The at-fault driver’s insurer will call you quickly, looking for anything they can use to reduce your payout. Tell them your attorney will be in touch and end the call.
Gather Evidence at the Scene
Photograph the vehicles, damage, your injuries, and any open containers in the other car. Get names and contact information from witnesses, especially anyone who observed the driver’s behavior before the crash, this is critical if we pursue the bar that served them.
Submit Your No-Fault Application Within 30 Days
In New York, you must file a No-Fault application within 30 days (Form NF-2) with your own insurer following the accident. This form triggers the medical and wage benefits you’re entitled to regardless of who caused the crash.
Call Grigor Law Right Away
We send preservation letters on day one to lock down surveillance footage and vehicle data before it gets deleted. Call (718) 249-7447, we come to you if you can’t reach our Ridgewood office.
Why Choose Grigor Law in Queens?
Grigor Law, led by Chrissy Grigoropoulos, Esq., serves clients across New York from offices in Ridgewood, the Bronx, and Hempstead. We take every case on a contingency-fee basis, you owe no attorney fees unless we win. We have been featured across mainstream media, we are rooted in the communities we protect, and we bring a shark attitude to every single case.
Call (718) 249-7447 to speak with our legal team today.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Queens
We represent clients across Queens, including Ridgewood, Astoria, Long Island City, Flushing, Jamaica, Forest Hills, Elmhurst, Corona, Jackson Heights, Woodside, Bayside, Far Rockaway, Howard Beach, Ozone Park, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Suing a Drunk Driver in New York Worth the Time and Cost?
In most serious injury cases, yes, a lawsuit is the only way to recover pain and suffering damages and long-term financial losses that no-fault coverage does not pay. Courts may also award punitive damages when the driver’s conduct was especially reckless.
How Long Does a Drunk Driving Lawsuit Take to Settle in New York?
Most cases resolve within 12 to 24 months, though matters involving multiple defendants or those that go to trial may take longer.
Can You Still Recover Compensation If You Were Partly at Fault for the Crash?
Yes. New York reduces your compensation by your share of fault rather than barring your claim, unless, under a rule that took effect May 26, 2026, your share of fault turns out to be greater than the other driver’s, in which case a motor vehicle claim is barred entirely.
Does a Criminal DWI Conviction Strengthen Your Civil Injury Claim?
A guilty plea or conviction is powerful proof of negligence in your civil case, though you do not have to wait for the criminal proceedings to conclude before we file your claim.
Can a Family Sue If a Drunk Driving Crash Was Fatal?
Yes. Surviving spouses, children, and parents can file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover lost financial support, funeral costs, and compensation for the victim’s conscious pain and suffering before death.
Skilled Car Crash Law Firm in Queens, New York
Insurance adjusters are already building their case against you. Evidence is being erased. You need a team that moves just as fast, and fights a lot harder.
Consultations are free, there is no fee unless we win, and we will come to you.