Venice Drunk Driving Accident Attorney
Driving while under the influence is illegal in all fifty states. Unfortunately, despite its criminalization, people continue to drink and drive at an alarming rate across the country. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 30 people die in drunk driving crashes every day in the U.S.
Fortunately, it is possible for those who are injured in these types of accidents, to recover compensation for their losses, although doing so can be difficult, as Florida is a no-fault auto insurance state. To learn more about filing this type of claim and collecting compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, please contact one of our experienced Venice drunk driving accident attorneys for help.
LEGAL BAC LEVELS
Ingesting alcohol impairs a person’s ability to reason, while also limiting muscle coordination. Recognizing the danger that these effects could have on drivers, Florida lawmakers passed a number of laws that prohibit this type of conduct. For instance, like every other state in the nation, Florida law makes it unlawful to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or more. This threshold is even lower, however, for commercial truck drivers, who are considered to be over the legal limit when their BAC is .04 percent or higher. Finally, drivers who are under the age of 21 years old are considered legally impaired if they drive with a BAC of .02 percent or more.
HOLDING DRUNK DRIVERS ACCOUNTABLE
Unfortunately, proving that another driver was intoxicated at the time of a crash may not be enough for an injured party to receive full compensation for his or her losses. This is because Florida is a no-fault auto insurance state, which means that in most cases, car accident victims are required to go through their own insurer when attempting to recover compensation for their medical bills and vehicle repair costs. Fortunately, it is possible to step outside of the state’s no-fault system, primarily when motorists can prove that their injuries are serious or that treatment exceeds the terms of their own policy. Technically, to meet this threshold, plaintiffs will still need to be able to prove that their injury is permanent, involves disfigurement or scarring, led to the permanent loss of a bodily function, or was severe enough to result in death.
FLORIDA’S DRAM SHOP LAW
Drunk drivers are not the only individuals who can be held liable for the injuries they cause. In fact, under Florida’s Dram Shop Law, third party establishments that serve alcohol can be required to pay a portion of a victim’s damages if they served alcohol to an intoxicated driver. However, in order to recover under this law, a plaintiff will generally need to prove that the at-fault driver was a minor or that the server knowingly provided alcohol to someone who was habitually addicted to alcohol.
WERE YOU INJURED BY A DRUNK DRIVER?
If you were involved in an accident with a drunk driver and suffered serious injuries, please call Hale Law to speak with an experienced Venice drunk driving accident attorney about seeking compensation for your losses. A member of our team can be reached at our office at 1-800-800-1414 today.