Hit by a Drunk Driver Lawyer
Sean Quinlan represents Pennsylvania families hit by drunk drivers — from catastrophic injury crashes on I-76, I-79, and I-81 to fatal head-on collisions on rural state routes. Drunk driving cases unlock layers of recovery that ordinary collisions don't: punitive damages, dram-shop liability against the bar or restaurant that over-served, and stacked UM/UIM benefits across every household policy.
Why Pennsylvania drunk driving crashes demand a local lawyer
Punitive damages are on the table. Pennsylvania allows punitive damages when a defendant's conduct is outrageous, reckless, or shows conscious disregard for the safety of others — and driving drunk meets that standard. Punitive damages are not capped in most personal injury cases and can dramatically increase the value of a claim beyond the at-fault driver's liability limits.
Pennsylvania has a dram-shop law (47 P.S. § 4-493(1)). Bars, restaurants, taverns, and clubs that serve a visibly intoxicated person are liable for injuries that person later causes. If the drunk driver was over-served at a Philadelphia bar, a Pittsburgh sports venue, or a Pocono restaurant before the crash, we identify the licensee, pull receipts and surveillance, and bring a dram-shop claim against their liquor-liability insurance.
UM/UIM stacking can multiply your recovery. When the drunk driver carries only $15,000 / $30,000 in liability — Pennsylvania's minimums — the bulk of recovery often comes from your own underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. We stack UIM limits across every household vehicle and every resident-relative policy, and we challenge waiver of stacking forms that were signed without proper disclosures.
Full tort applies regardless of your tort election. Pennsylvania's limited tort restriction does not apply when the at-fault driver was convicted of DUI (75 Pa. C.S. § 1705(d)). Even if you selected limited tort on your auto policy, a drunk driving crash unlocks full recovery for pain, suffering, and loss of life's pleasures.
Criminal and civil cases run in parallel. The DUI prosecution in the local Court of Common Pleas (Philadelphia, Allegheny, Lackawanna, Lehigh, or wherever the crash occurred) produces sworn evidence — blood-alcohol results, field-sobriety videos, witness statements — that we use in the civil case. A guilty plea or conviction is collateral estoppel: the defendant cannot relitigate liability.
How we build your Pennsylvania drunk driving crash case
- 1
Pull the police crash report, DUI affidavit of probable cause, and any chemical test results (blood draw at the hospital or breath test at the station) — these establish liability and unlock punitive damages.
- 2
Investigate the dram-shop trail: identify every bar, restaurant, or licensed establishment the driver visited, subpoena receipts and surveillance, and notify the liquor-liability insurer of the establishment under 47 P.S. § 4-497.
- 3
Audit all available insurance: the drunk driver's liability, any employer or vehicle-owner policy, your own UM/UIM coverage stacked across all household policies, MedPay, and any umbrella policies.
- 4
Coordinate with the District Attorney's office on the criminal case and obtain the toxicology, body-cam, and dash-cam evidence before it is destroyed under retention schedules.
- 5
Pursue full compensatory and punitive damages through demand and, if necessary, jury trial in the appropriate Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas.
What you may recover after a Pennsylvania drunk driving crash
Pennsylvania drunk driving cases routinely produce significantly larger recoveries than ordinary crashes because of punitive damages, dram-shop exposure, and full tort. Sober drivers killed or maimed by impaired drivers are sympathetic plaintiffs and juries respond to the choice the defendant made.
- All medical expenses — past and future — including surgery, rehab, and long-term care
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity, including future earnings for catastrophic injuries
- Pain, suffering, and loss of life's pleasures (full tort under 75 Pa. C.S. § 1705(d) regardless of tort election)
- Disfigurement, scarring, and amputation damages
- Punitive damages against the impaired driver — uncapped in most cases
- Dram-shop damages against the bar or restaurant that over-served the driver
- Wrongful death and survival damages under 42 Pa. C.S. §§ 8301–8302 for fatal crashes
- UM/UIM benefits stacked across every household auto policy
High-risk areas for Pennsylvania drunk driving crashes
High-risk Pennsylvania corridors
- Roosevelt Boulevard (US-1) Philadelphia — late-night DUI fatalities
- I-95 through Philadelphia and Bucks County — weekend bar-close crashes
- I-376 (Parkway East/West) Pittsburgh — Strip District and South Side bar zones
- I-81 through Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Harrisburg — rural after-hours DUIs
- Route 22 and I-78 (Lehigh Valley) — late-night freight corridor DUIs
Common dram-shop sources
- Center City Philadelphia bars and restaurants serving past visible intoxication
- South Side and Strip District Pittsburgh establishments
- Pocono casino and resort bars (Mt. Airy, Mohegan Sun, Kalahari)
- Stadium and arena concessions (Lincoln Financial, Wells Fargo, PNC Park, Acrisure)
- Lehigh Valley and Berks County tavern district over-service
Talk to Sean Quinlan about your Pennsylvania drunk driving crash.
No Fee Unless We Win. Call now or request a free case review and Sean Quinlan will personally evaluate your case.