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Victim impact panels are designed to hold drunk drivers accountable and help them realize the seriousness of their actions. Also known as a VIP, a victim impact panel is a meeting where a person convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is ordered to listen to DUI victims (typically three or four people) about how the accident has affected their lives or the lives of their loved ones. Many DUI offenders are required to attend a victim impact panel to help ensure that their serious violation of the law will never be repeated. Many victims of such accidents find comfort in their offender being ordered to attend one of these panels. Your Fort Myers personal injury attorney will push to ensure that you are offered the same benefit.

As you may know, DUI offenders are often charged with criminal violations and, depending on the severity of the accident, are often called to sentencing. That’s particularly true if the accident resulted in serious bodily injury or death to another person - such an accident would trigger both a criminal action as well as a civil lawsuit, whether for personal injury or wrongful death. In either case, the offender would be required to attend a victim impact panel as part of their sentence, in addition to possible jail time or mandated fines. 

What Are the Goals of a Victim Impact Panel?

Generally spearheaded and led by the victim advocacy and support organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the goals of victim impact panels include:

• Giving victims a voice to share their feelings and experiences in the hopes that it will help them heal
• Make DUI offenders aware of the extent of their actions and how serious an offense drunk driving is
• Raise awareness against drunk driving, and prevent future incidents of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

It should be noted that victim impact panels are not designed to blame the driver but rather help them understand how wrong they were to get behind the wheel. The philosophy is to educate bad actors and not make them feel shunned or angry so as to trigger an emotional reaction that may lead them to drink again. It is important to remember that many drunk drivers are addicts, and the goal is to get these people the help they need to stay off alcohol - and off the road - for good.

Who Is Ordered to Attend a Victim Impact Panel?

Generally speaking, the judge overseeing a case will be determining whether the offender should attend a victim impact panel, and your Fort Myers personal injury attorney can certainly advocate for that on your behalf. Most judges will only order a victim impact panel when someone is a first-time offender and decide to take harsher penalties should the same offender appear in court for another DUI offense. Notably, attending a VIP is not the same as attending DUI school, which is usually a mandatory penalty in most DUI cases and is nowhere near as emotional an experience. 

Other mandatory DUI penalties might include a criminal conviction, time in jail, a suspension of their driver’s license for up to six months, and the installation of a device that monitors blood alcohol content before the offender can start their car for six months. 

Once an offender has completed a victim impact panel, the judge will generally register their attendance either as time served or community service. The offender is required to present a certificate of completion to have the VIP credited on their record. 

What Goes on During a Victim Impact Panel?

Each city or state’s local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving organizes VIPs by selecting a panel of three to four victims to speak briefly about drunk driving crashes in which they were injured or in which a loved one was needlessly killed. These victims rarely blame or judge those in the audience, but their purpose is to shed light on the pain and suffering they have gone through due to someone’s reckless decision to drink and get behind the wheel. As such, as a victim, you can expect to share your story and explain how your life and your family member’s lives have been affected. Notably, VIP panels would never put you or any other victim in the same room as their offender to minimize the incidence of a serious emotional outburst.

Usually, victims will tell their stories with minimal interaction with the offenders in the room. However, once the panel concludes and the victims are done presenting their stories, there is a question and answer period. Victims are purposely instructed not to place blame or take an accusatory tone because doing so will alienate offenders and cause them to turn a blind eye to the seriousness of their actions. The goal is to keep offenders from feeling “stuck” in their addiction or harmful behavior and focused instead on how they can use these victims’ stories to inspire a path toward rehabilitation. Finally, the VIP uses a set of standards to evaluate whether the program was successful.

Notably, as a victim, you are never required to share your story unless you think it is something that would help you heal. You can talk to your Fort Myers personal injury attorney about it if it is something in which you might be interested.

Let a Fort Myers Personal Injury Attorney at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. Help

Being a victim of a drunk driving accident is a traumatic experience that requires both physical and emotional medical care. While resources like victim impact panels do their part to deter bad actors from making the same mistake, nothing changes a person’s behavior like a lawsuit. If you are the victim of a drunk driver, you may have a valid claim to pursue. 

To discuss your legal rights and options under the law, speak with Fort Myers Personal Injury Attorney Randall L. Spivey at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. as soon as possible. Contact us online for a free initial consultation.


Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one percent (1%) of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll-free at 1.888.477.4839 or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com  Visit Spivey Law.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County at 239.793.7748.  Contact us online for a free initial consultation.