Becoming a victim of a drunk driving accident is one of those things you never think will happen to you – because you don’t drink and drive. Unfortunately, many others on the road do drink and drive and they put the rest of us at risk.
How Often is Drunk Driving the Cause of an Accident?
According to the United States Department of Transportation, around 32 people die in the US every day in drunk driving accidents, and 30% of road crashes are caused by drunk driving. These statistics are compiled from data across the US.
In Florida, DUIs (DUI standing for ‘Driving Under the Influence’) caused 814 fatalities in 2022. These fatalities resulted from road accidents caused solely by DUI. Alcohol and drugs together resulted in a further 199 fatalities. That’s a total of over 1000 deaths caused by drunk driving, or driving under the influence of alcohol and other substances that cause impaired judgment.
The chances of you being injured by a drunk driver are significant. Every time you get on the road in Florida, you are at risk of being involved in an accident caused by drunk driving.
If you are unlucky enough to become involved in a road accident caused by a drunk driver, and you are injured, you will need the help of a drunk driving injury lawyer. An experienced attorney will help you take legal action for fair compensation.
How Can a Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Help Me?
Drunk driving injury lawyers focus in obtaining compensation for injury or death caused by a drunk driver. Drunk driving accidents are not ordinary accidents, nor are they merely caused by negligence. Driving while under the influence of alcohol is a criminal offense as well as negligencen (a civile matter). However, it’s not negligent in the way falling asleep behind the wheel might be. An accident and injury caused by drunk driving adds an extra element to a wrongful death or injury lawsuit brought against a drunk driver (or their estate if they are deceased) while the person under the influence does not normally intend on hurting someone, their reckless behavior contributed to the damages and fault.
A drunk driving injury lawyer can help you get compensation for you or your loved one’s physical and emotional injuries. Compensation in a car accident lawsuit could cover medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost earnings, and last, but not least, also compensate drunk driving victims for ‘pain and suffering’. The compensation required can be significant – running into millions of dollars in cases where the injured party is disabled, unable to work for an extended period of time, or for life, and in cases where medical bills and rehabilitation costs run into the millions provided that there is a deep pocket able to pay for those damages (i.e.-a large business, high amounts of insurance coverage, etc.).
An accident lawyer focusing on personal injury claims is best positioned to help you claim compensation for the range of damages from an accident.
When Should I Hire a Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer?
If you are hit by a drunk driver, or if you are a passenger in a car involved in a DUI crash and the driver is the guilty party, you need to hire a drunk driving injury lawyer straight away to file a personal injury claim. Time is of the essence, as claims can take time to process and for the compensation to be paid out.
The same applies if you lose a family member in a DUI accident. Law firms and accident lawyers can help family members of the gravely injured or deceased obtain often essential compensation.
Choosing a Lawyer When Hit by a Drunk Driver in Florida
If you become the victim of a drunk driver in Florida, you’ll have several DUI crash lawyers to choose from. So, how do you choose the right one? The first consideration is the lawyer or law firm’s experience in lawsuits for injuries resulting from DUI crashes. When you look for a drunk driving accident lawyer in Florida, consider expertise and also the extent of your injuries, and the range of damages you will need to claim.
If you or a loved one have suffered an injury and financial loss because of a drunk driver, and you need to take legal action fast to get the compensation due to you, contact Sokoloff & Weinstein today.
