Long Beach is one of those places that feels alive all the time. It’s right there on the Southern California coast, with the Queen Mary sitting in the bay like it’s still ready for one more trip. There’s the Aquarium of the Pacific, the art museums, the old adobe homes, and streets full of people going to work, school, or just living their normal lives.
It’s a huge city too, with more than 450,000 people and one of the busiest ports in the entire world. Even the ground under it has its own oilfields. And with so many people and cars and movement, it’s scary how fast one drunk driver can change everything in a second.
When someone gets hurt by a drunk driver, they’re usually dealing with pain, confusion, bills they never expected, and a whole lot of fear about what their life will look like next. That’s why having a Long Beach DUI accident attorney can matter so much, especially when someone is trying to understand what types of compensation are even possible, or where to start.
What Types of Compensation Can a DUI Accident Victim Get?
Here are the main types of compensation that are available to you as a victim:
Economic Damages
Under economic damages, we have the following:
Medical Expenses
Right after a crash, the medical bills start flowing in like water. You would have to financially cover costs for:
- Emergency rooms
- Scans
- Surgery
- Bandages
- Medication
- Physical therapy
And for some victims, long-term care that might last for years.
If the injuries are serious or permanent, the medical costs can stretch far into the future. Compensation is supposed to cover all of that, not just what happened that first week.
Lost Income
When someone is hurt, they usually can’t work. And sometimes they can’t work for a long time.
Lost wages include:
- Missed paychecks
- Missed overtime
- Missed tips or bonuses
- Missed shifts you would’ve taken
It also includes the kind of work you can’t do anymore if your injuries have changed your abilities.
Loss of Future Earning Capacity
Sometimes an injury doesn’t heal all the way. A person might not return to their old job, or if they do, they might not earn as much. Compensation tries to fill that gap so the future doesn’t feel so uncertain.
Property Damage
Cars get smashed. Phones crack. Laptops break. You could lose a bag, glasses, or anything inside your car. Victims deserve compensation for those, too.
Non-Economic Damages
These are the damages that are not physical but have to be considered too:
Pain and Suffering
This includes physical pain, including the aches, the soreness, the surgeries, and the emotional hurt of adjusting to a new reality.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
If you used to run, dance, swim, or play with your kids easily… and suddenly you can’t, or it hurts too much, that loss is part of your compensation.
Loss of Consortium
When a partner loses comfort, closeness, support, or intimacy because of the victim’s injuries, that’s included too.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages don’t exist to help with bills. They exist to punish the drunk driver. And to warn everyone else that driving under the influence is not something the law takes lightly.
These aren’t awarded in every case, but drunk driving often meets the standard for them, because the driver didn’t just mess up. They acted with extreme disregard for everyone’s safety.
Wrongful Death Damages
When a drunk driving crash takes someone’s life, it turns everything upside down. The family is left grieving while also trying to handle bills, paperwork, and the kind of daily heaviness that comes with losing someone they counted on.
In these situations, the law allows the family to recover things like:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- The income the person would have earned if they were still alive
- The support, love, and guidance they can no longer give
- The emotional pain the family now carries
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Some costs don’t fit neatly into the big categories, but they still drain money fast. These include:
- Transportation to medical appointments
- Small home changes to help with mobility
- Braces, crutches, or other medical supplies
- Rental cars
- Parking fees during hospital visits
They may seem small on their own, but together, they add up—and victims shouldn’t have to cover them alone.
Key Takeaways
- Compensation can cover medical bills, lost income, property damage, and future needs.
- The law agrees that emotional harm should be accounted for in the compensation.
- In some cases, the at-fault driver may face additional punishment through punitive damages.
- When a crash is fatal, families may pursue wrongful death compensation.
Last Updated on January 14, 2026
