Often we hear about drunk drivers walking away from DUI accidents with little to no injuries, while their passengers, other drivers or anyone else in their path are killed, paralyzed, suffer severe head injury and brain damage or have multiple injuries that will take months, if not years, to recover from.
Recently, a 20-year old female passenger was killed when the man she was riding with struck a guardrail of an on-ramp to the Bobby Jones Expressway, crashing their vehicle. The driver suffered only minor injuries and was taken away in squad car on DUI charges. The passenger was taken to the hospital by ambulance where, three days later, she died from injuries resulting from the crash.
Despite Efforts by Law Enforcement, DUI Accidents Still Occur
It is estimated that, in 2009, over 13.5 million crimes were committed in the United States. Of those, 1.5 million were DUI arrests; that’s an average of over 150 DUI arrests every hour. The National Highway Transportation and Safety Board estimated that one person died from a DUI accident every 50 minutes in 2009; Mothers Against Drunk Driving estimates that someone is injured every minute by an alcohol-related car crash. Although law enforcement agencies have taken aggressive steps to lower the amount of people driving under the influence, and thereby DUI vehicle crashes, innocent people are still being catastrophically injured by drunk drivers. As long as drunk drivers are on the road, drunk-driving accidents will occur.
Everyone Pays for the Bad Acts of Drunk Drivers
DUI accidents are 100 percent preventable. Calling a cab, designating a driver or just simply choosing not to drink and drive will all stop drunk-driving accidents. Stopping drunk-driving accidents also stops the thousands of innocent victims from paying for the mistakes of others.
Warning signs that a driver near you may be impaired include suddenly speeding up or slowing down, weaving in between lanes or onto a shoulder or median, driving 10 or more mph below the posted speed limit and driving in the wrong direction. Unfortunately, there are no warnings that a tragedy is about to occur.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an alcohol-related crash, an experienced Georgia attorney can help you understand your right to compensation for your injuries.