If you or someone you love was hurt in an accident involving a drunk driver in Fairfield, Ohio, Kruger & Hodges Attorneys at Law is a drunk driving accident law firm that may be able to help you with your personal injury claim. One of the most important factors that must be considered in a car accident claim involves who was at fault for the crash. Generally, the driver at fault for the accident will be the one responsible for paying damages to victims. In a drunk driving accident, the drunk driver will almost always be at fault for the accident because drunk driving is against the law and is known to impact a driver’s reaction time and judgment. If police convict an individual for drunk driving charges, victims and families may also have the right to pursue the drunk driver or his or her insurers for a settlement to cover their medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, rehabilitation costs, and other losses.
Dangers of Drunk Driving
Drunk driving is incredibly dangerous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2017 alone there were 10,874 deaths due to drunk driving in the U.S. This amounts to approximately 30 people dying each day due to drunk driving accidents. Even more alarming is that these numbers don’t begin to account for the people who are seriously injured in drunk driving accidents. Drunk driving crashes can leave victims suffering from serious and life-altering injuries including spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, internal injuries, back and neck injuries, amputations, broken bones, and other serious injuries. Despite these risks, Mothers Against Drunk Driving reports that people in the U.S. may drive drunk as much as 300,000 times every day. Unfortunately, sometimes repeat drunk driving offenders aren’t caught until they injure themselves or someone else.
Drivers who operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher, are considered impaired under the law. If a driver is involved in an accident and police suspect that the driver might have been driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, he or she might be required by law enforcement to take a breath or blood test. If you have been in a crash and suspect that the other driver might have been drinking and driving, it is important to call the police, make a police report of the accident, and report your observations of the other driver to law enforcement (observations of slurred speech, inability to walk in a straight line, or other issues could be helpful to police). Individuals who have been hurt in a car accident should also seek medical attention. Some injuries may not always be immediately apparent at the scene of your accident, so seeking medical care not only protects your health but also ensures that you’ll have medical reports of what happened and records of your injuries if you were hurt in a drunk driving accident.
Individuals who have been hurt in a drunk driving accident should also report the accident to their insurance company and exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver. If you have questions about your rights under the law or have questions about seeking damages following a drunk driving claim, our drunk driving accident lawyers can help you in Fairfield, Ohio today.
Seeking Justice for Drunk Driving Victims in Fairfield, Ohio
Drunk driving can shatter your life and devastate your family. Victims might find themselves facing high medical and rehabilitation costs. Individuals who have been disabled after a drunk driving crash may miss time from work or may be unable to return to work, which can leave victims and their families struggling to make ends meet. If you or someone you love was hurt in a drunk driving accident, you may have important rights under the law. For example, you may be able to seek compensation from negligent drivers to cover your medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, rehabilitation costs, and other losses. However, you may only have a limited amount of time to make a claim under the law. Contact Kruger & Hodges Attorneys at Law, drunk driving accident lawyers serving Fairfield, Ohio today to learn more.
