If you’ve been injured in a drunk driving accident, you may have legal options available to help you recover. Contact our Florence drunk driving accident lawyers at Mama Justice today to protect your legal rights.
Although it is a criminal offense to get behind the wheel of a car while impaired by alcohol, we continue to see people engage in these senseless acts every year in the state of Alabama. Unfortunately, driving while drunk is one of the leading causes of death and injuries in Alabama.
Driving under the influence of alcohol leads to more than 200 traffic deaths every year in the state of Alabama. Thousands of other people involved in crashes with impaired drivers are left with serious injuries that require extensive medical care.
If you have been injured in a drunk driving accident, feel free to reach out to our personal injury attorneys as soon as possible. Our Florence drunk driving accident lawyers at Mama Justice are standing by to take your call.
Our law firm offers a no-obligation, free consultation to each prospective client so we can discuss the accident and legal options that may be available. Waiting to take legal action can have negative consequences. For this reason, it is important that you contact our law firm today to get started on your case.
Drunk Driving Accident Statistics in Alabama
Drunk driving is a growing problem in Alabama as well as across the entire nation. Impaired drivers take the lives of more than 9,900 people every year. Nearly one-third of all traffic-related fatalities occur in crashes involving drivers who are under the influence of alcohol.
In the state of Alabama, more than 4,600 crashes occur annually due to drunk or intoxicated drivers. These crashes take the lives of more than 200 people annually, accounting for roughly 32% of total traffic deaths each year.
Losing a loved one as a result of a crash caused by an impaired driver can be quite challenging for families. If your loved one lost their life in a crash involving an intoxicated driver, you may have legal options available to help you recover damages. Contact our Florence personal injury law firm to get started on your case.
Facts About Drunk Driving Accidents in Florence
There are various factors that we continue to see surrounding crashes with drunk drivers in our state.
- In general, drivers who have a BAC of 0.08% or higher are four times more likely to cause a motor vehicle accident than drivers who are sober.
- One out of every three fatal crashes in the state of Alabama involves a drunk driver.
- Saturday and Sunday are the days of the week that account for the highest portion of fatal drunk driving accidents in our state.
- The alcohol-related fatal accidents that take place in Alabama are well above the national average.
- Drivers who are between the ages of 20 and 24 make up the largest portion of DUI drivers involved in crashes in Alabama.
- Pickup trucks are the vehicle that is most commonly involved in a drunk driving crash in our state.
Drunk Driving Laws in Alabama
In the state of Alabama, a person is considered to be an intoxicated person if they are driving with a blood alcohol concentration at or above 0.08%. A person with this BAC level is considered to be guilty of a “per see” DUI.
There are also instances where people can be charged with drunk driving if they are intoxicated to the point where they lack the ability to safely control and operate their vehicle.
There are some circumstances where drunk drivers can be criminally charged with BAC levels under the legal limit. For instance, if a person is under the age of 21, they can be charged as a drunk driver if their BAC is 0.02% or above. People who operate commercial vehicles can be convicted if their BAC level is at or above 0.04%.
In general, a person is illegally operating their vehicle when they meet any of the following conditions:
- The driver has a BAC of 0.08% or above.
- The person is under the influence of drugs to the extent that it impairs the ability to operate their vehicle.
- A young driver who has a BAC over the level of 0.02%.
- A school bus driver or a daycare driver who has a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02% or above.
When a person is stopped under suspicion of driving while under the influence, they are often prompted to take a chemical breath test and perform various other roadside tests to determine if they are impaired.
If a driver refuses to take the test, they can be criminally prosecuted for being under the influence of alcohol simply for their refusal. A DUI conviction in Alabama can come with steep consequences.
In the state of Alabama, drunk driving is a criminal offense that can result in hefty fines, possible jail time, drivers’ license suspension by the Alabama Department of Transportation, and various other consequences.
Consequences for these actions can increase greatly in instances where drivers cause a DUI accident. If DUI accidents result in aggravated circumstances, such as drivers who have suffered serious bodily injuries or death while involved in the crash with a drunk driver, the consequences can be significant.
Although there are many criminal consequences for drivers who choose to drive while impaired, they do nothing to help victims and their families cover the costs they face moving forward.
For this reason, victims and their surviving relatives are strongly encouraged to seek the assistance of an experienced attorney who can file a personal injury case on their behalf. By scheduling a free consultation with our Florence drunk driving accident lawyer right away, we can review the circumstances surrounding your accident and fight to get you just compensation for your damages.
Our Team Will Help You Hold Drunk Drivers Accountable
When an intoxicated person gets behind the wheel of a vehicle and enters our roadways, they place the lives of everyone else at risk of being harmed. Suffering serious injuries in an Alabama drunk driving accident can result in towering medical expenses, lost wages, and other financial burdens that make the recovery process more challenging.
You do not have to move forward alone. Mama Justice can fight on your behalf to ensure you get justice. A DUI conviction can help you to better prove the actions of the at-fault driver. This is especially true if those at fault are deemed to be repeat offenders.
Over the years, our legal services performed have helped numerous clients get justice after they were injured or their family member lost their life in motor vehicle accidents and we will stand by your side every step of the legal process to ensure you get justice as well.
What are Alabama Dram Shop Laws?
After a DUI accident, the drunk driver may not be the only person who can be held accountable. In certain circumstances, bartenders, restaurant owners, and other parties can be held liable for resulting injuries and damages.
In general, those who served alcohol to any person who was visibly intoxicated can be held liable for any of the injuries caused by their actions.
In order to prove the bartender, server, or others involved in serving alcohol to a drunk driver are responsible parties, you must be able to prove that the person engaged in these negligent acts. Proving liability under dram shop laws often requires witness testimony, video evidence, or both.
In some cases, those who host social events may also be held liable. This is especially true in cases where they served alcohol to those under the legal drinking age.
If any person sold alcohol to a person who is visibly intoxicated, they can be held liable for any resulting injuries or damages resulting from an auto accident.
Mama Justice Will Fight to Hold Negligent Hosts Accountable
By scheduling a free case review with our team at Mama Justice, we can review the circumstances of your crash and put our extensive knowledge to use. We will gather evidence from the scene of the accident and go to the bar, restaurant, or any other location where the driver was served prior to entering the roadway. We will identify every person who can be held accountable for your injuries and seek monetary damages from them.
Recoverable Damages for Victims of DUI Accidents in Florence
Victims who are harmed in a DUI accident can recover compensation for various damages they face.
According to Alabama law, a victim who is harmed in a DUI accident can seek compensation for various economic and non-economic damages resulting from their accidents.
Some of the economic damages that victims can recover include but are not limited to compensation for:
- Medical costs
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Long-term medical bills
Some of the non-economic damages available for those harmed in a DUI accident include:
- Loss of consortium
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
There are some instances where victims may be entitled to punitive damages as well. Whether you suffered catastrophic injuries in a crash or your loved one lost their life in an accident caused by a drunk driver, we will fight to help you get the maximum amount of punitive damages available for your claim.
We firmly believe that victims should never be forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars on medical expenses and other damages they face after being injured in a crash as a result of the negligent actions of other drivers. For this reason, we fight to help our clients get justice.
How We Help Our Clients Fight to Protect Their Legal Rights
Our lawyers will go to the scene where the drunk driving accidents occurred to gather evidence. We will speak with other drivers involved in the crash and anyone who witnessed it. We will obtain a copy of the police report and any medical reports of your injuries and demand full compensation on your behalf.
When victims lose their lives in fatal crashes caused by drunk drivers, we will fight to ensure their families are able to hold drunk drivers to account.
We will handle all communication with the drunk driver’s insurance company and demand that they pay you the compensation you deserve. We refuse to let our clients be taken advantage of by any insurance company and we will prove why you deserve every dollar that we demand.
Our attorneys are committed to helping accident victims recover full compensation for their drunk driving accident cases. We will fight to ensure you get the justice and compensation that you rightfully deserve.
Mama Justice Will Help You Hold Negligent Drivers Accountable
Every year, thousands of people in Alabama are negatively impacted by drunk drivers. After being harmed in a crash with a drunk driver, many people struggle to move forward. Seeking the assistance of a skilled Florence personal injury lawyer as soon as possible will ensure you are able to get justice.
Our Florence DUI accident lawyers at Mama Justice truly value each attorney-client relationship we have. We are committed to treating every client we work with as if they are a part of our family. We provide only the most knowledgeable and fearless representation to ensure they are able to recover the compensation they truly need and deserve following a personal injury accident.
If you were injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver, you must reach out to our Alabama drunk driving accident attorneys right away. You can contact our law firm by calling (662) 262-6264 to schedule a free case evaluation with our team to discuss the legal options available for you. Our law firm handles all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that you do not have to pay anything upfront to get started.
Contact our law firm today to protect your legal rights and demand the justice you deserve.