Posted in Personal Injury
A late-night collision on North Grandview Boulevard in Waukesha left every occupant of both vehicles injured and resulted in one driver’s arrest. Crashes involving an impaired driver raise distinct legal questions for the people hurt in them. Understanding how those claims work can help injured occupants protect their recovery from the start.
What Happened on North Grandview Boulevard
According to the City of Waukesha Police Department, the crash occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Monday, July 6, in the 3000 block of North Grandview Boulevard near Golf Road. Two vehicles traveling in opposite directions collided in a near head-on impact. All occupants of both vehicles were injured, and those hurt were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Police arrested one of the drivers for operating while intoxicated, causing injury. The Wisconsin State Patrol assisted with the investigation and performed a crash reconstruction at the scene, which kept the road closed for a period before it reopened. The incident was covered by WISN 12 News, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Why an OWI Arrest Matters to an Injury Claim
A criminal OWI charge and a civil injury claim are separate proceedings, but they are connected. The criminal case belongs to the state. The injury claim belongs to the people who were hurt. Evidence gathered for one often strengthens the other.
An arrest for operating while intoxicated causing injury gives an injured person’s claim a strong starting point on fault. Blood test results, field observations, and the State Patrol’s reconstruction all become part of the record. That evidence makes it harder for an insurer to spread blame onto the injured occupants, which matters in Wisconsin because a person’s recovery is reduced by any share of fault assigned to them.
Head-on collisions also tend to produce serious harm. The forces involved are far greater than in most other crash types, and injuries to the neck, spine, chest, and head are common. Some of those injuries reveal their full extent only after weeks of treatment.
Steps for Injured Occupants to Take
Anyone hurt in a crash like this one can strengthen their position with a few early habits.
- Follow through on all recommended medical care, including referrals and imaging.
- Obtain the crash report once the investigation allows its release.
- Keep every bill, prescription record, and note about missed work.
- Save correspondence from every insurer involved.
- Decline to give a recorded statement before getting legal advice.
The insurance company for an intoxicated driver knows its policyholder faces serious exposure. That does not mean it will volunteer a fair settlement. Adjusters still question the severity of injuries and the cost of future care, and a claim built on thorough records leaves less room for those arguments.
A Waukesha, WI personal injury lawyer can coordinate the claim while the criminal case proceeds, gather the evidence both matters generate, and calculate the full value of what the crash cost.
How Our Firm Approaches These Cases
At Hickey & Turim, S.C., we have represented injured Wisconsin residents since 1989, including many hurt by impaired drivers. We investigate the collision, document every injury and expense, and deal directly with the insurers so our clients can focus on treatment.
When a drunk driver causes a crash, the injured occupants carry the consequences. The hospital visits, the time away from work, and the slow pace of recovery all fall on people who did nothing wrong. Our job is to shift that financial weight back where it belongs.
If you or someone in your family was injured in this collision or a similar crash, contact a personal injury lawyer Waukesha, WI residents have trusted for decades. Hickey & Turim, S.C. can review what happened and explain what your claim may be worth.
