HAVE YOU BEEN HURT IN AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY A DRUNKEN DRIVER
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drunk driving accidents kill more than 10,000 people each year. Many tens of thousands are maimed and seriously injured every day. Millions of drunk drivers get behind the wheel every year.
Driving after drinking alcohol can impair your driving skills. Alcohol is a depressant that can slow your reflexes, impair your judgment, decrease your perception, and make your motor functions more sluggish. It also can make you pass out and get lulled into sleep much easier which is very dangerous behind the wheel.
Many drunk drivers end up causing accidents when they drift from their lane into oncoming traffic and cause head-on collisions. Drivers can do this because they pass out behind the wheel or because their inebriation causes them to drift out of their lane. Head-on collisions are some of the most violent and deadly of all car accident types. Two vehicles striking each other because they are traveling in opposite directions at great speed involves particularly intense physical forces.
Drivers that are drunk have much more trouble correctly judging distances and gauging whether or not they have enough time to stop their vehicle before they hit something; typically a vehicle that is in front of them. A drunk driver’s vision is also impaired so they can fail to notice things like stopped cars and motorcycles in front of them and cause an accident. Drunk drivers of very large commercial vehicles like semi-truck drivers can have a particularly hard time avoiding rear-end accidents since their vehicles are significantly heavier and therefore have more momentum that takes them much longer and farther to brake to a complete stop.
Many Floridians have to get to their destinations on foot and end up getting hit by drivers that are inebriated. Pedestrian accidents often result in fatalities or at the least, catastrophic injury due to the fact that victims are almost entirely unprotected by the chassis of a motor-vehicle colliding with them. Many pedestrian accidents involving drunk drivers involve pedestrians not even walking on the road but on a sidewalk where they end up being hit by a car despite following every rule in the book.
Bicycles are classified as vehicles that are afforded the same rights as other motor vehicles. Many bicyclists take to the road when there is no bike path or lane available and end up being hit by drunk drivers. Drivers under the influence of alcohol have their vision impaired and end up hitting bicyclists due to their low visibility. Bicycle accidents like these commonly occurs at night.
Many people make the mistake of piloting watercraft while under the influence which is one of the top causes of boating accidents in the country. While piloting a boat is not the same as driving a car, the impairment that alcohol consumption causes is applicable in both cases. Boat accidents can be particularly dangerous since emergency response can take much more time and also there is the danger open water poses when a boat is wrecked as well.
If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident caused by a drunk driver then you may be able to seek compensation for the injuries that you suffered by filing a car accident injury claim or lawsuit. While Florida no-fault law ensures those involved in accidents must go through their own insurance first, drunk driving accidents easily inflict injuries that far exceed personal injury protection coverage which makes seeking compensation from those liable for someone’s damages a necessity.
Losing a loved one or watching them suffer as a result of a drunk driver can be one of the most painful experiences of your life. It is one thing to suffer injuries as the result of a car accident when it was truly an accident. It is another thing, however, when an irresponsible and reckless driver takes to the road knowing that he or she is potentially endangering the life of an innocent. You have a right to compensation and Jupiter Legal Advocates can assist you in ensuring that you not only get the compensation that you deserve but also in ensuring that those responsible for your damages are held accountable for their actions.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a drunk driving accident, contact Jupiter Legal Advocates. We are here to help you.