Offering Full Support in Drunk Driving Accident Cases
Drunk and buzzed drivers are one of the biggest scourges of the roads. If you were hit by an intoxicated driver, you need to work with an attorney to ensure that your damages are properly compensated. The Sarasota drunk driving accident attorneys at Hale Law can help you today.
Intoxicated Drivers: The Cause of One Third of All Traffic Fatalities
One out of three traffic fatalities is caused by intoxicated drivers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Here in Florida, that equates to about 850 deaths per year. A staggering 2.1 percent of adults self-reported having drank too much before getting behind the wheel of a car in the previous 30 days. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, intoxicated driving causes drivers to:
- Speed
- Drive More Aggressively
- Have Poor Reaction Time
- Drift From Lane to Lane
- Have Poor Motor Control Over Their Movements
- Engage in Risky Driving Behavior
- Reduce Braking Ability
- Reduce Ability To Track Objects
- Have Impaired Perception
- Have Impaired Auditory Processing
It is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or greater. However, even lower levels of alcohol can cause serious impairment. A single drink that raises a person’s BAC to between 0.02 and 0.05 can cause:
- Exaggerated Behavior
- Loss of Small Muscle Control Such As the Eyes
- Impaired Judgment
- Decrease Alertness
- Release of Inhibition
- Altered Mood
- Cause Over Relaxation
Comparative Negligence Means You Could Still Be Partially Liable
Despite the overwhelming evidence that drunk driving is one of the leading causes of fatal and serious injury-causing crashes, you could still be held at least partially liable for the collision, even if you were 100 percent sober. This can be extremely frustrating for victims to learn, especially when the other party’s insurance company starts making wild claims that you were doing something reckless that caused the crash.
However ridiculous these claims may be, we may need to conduct further investigation into the matter to prove your innocence. Florida is a comparative negligence state, which means that the degree of your negligence reduces the compensation you are entitled to by an equal amount. Suppose a sober driver was speeding on the highway and was hit from the side by a drunk driver. In that case, the sober driver could be found 10 percent liable and would only be able to receive 90 percent of their damages.
On the other hand, if a sober driver runs a red light and T-bones an intoxicated driver, that sober driver could be found solely at-fault and would not receive any compensation. To maximize your compensation, we must prove that you were not negligent at all.
Don’t Let a Drunk Driver Ruin Your Future
Just because the other driver was intoxicated does not mean that you will easily win your case and be compensated fairly by the other party. You still have to work with an attorney who will negotiate, investigate, and hold the other party’s insurance company accountable in and out of the courtroom. Call Hale Law today at 1-800-800-1414 to speak to a Sarasota drunk driving accident attorney. We offer case evaluations for free.