Drunk driving claims hundreds of lives in Grayson every year. And it injures thousands more. These accidents are often serious because the driver’s ability to drive is so impaired that they cannot react fast enough to stop a crash.
Collisions that might have just been low-impact fender benders if the driver was sober can turn deadly. Drunk drivers also engage in dangerous and risky behaviors, which increases the chances of an accident.
It is never okay to get behind the wheel drunk—it can change another person’s life forever. If you or a loved one has been affected by a drunk driver, you need to call a Grayson drunk driving accident lawyer.
At John Foy & Associates, we understand what you are going through because we have 20 years of experience helping car accident victims. It’s unfair that this happened to you or your family member, and you can do something about it. Your losses are the responsibility of another person, and we can help you hold the drunk driver involved in your accident accountable for their poor decision.
Let us give you a free consultation. Call us at 404-400-4000 and get your free consultation today.
How does the Fact that the Driver Was Drunk Affect My Personal Injury Case?
Even though it’s hazardous to get behind the wheel after you have been drinking, there are drunk drivers on the road nearly every day in the City of Grayson. Driving under the influence slows a driver’s reaction time, and it often makes them drive recklessly. They also don’t pay as much attention to the road as they should. Other negative effects of drinking and driving that affect someone’s ability to drive include:
- Lack of coordination
- Reduced concentration
- Decreased vision abilities
- Poor judgment
- Decreased inhibitions
- The tendency to drive above the speed limit and engage in other risky behaviors
Whether the driver was drunk will absolutely affect your personal injury case. If you can show that the driver was drunk, that can increase your chances of getting money damages for your losses. But, you still need to show that drunk driving was what actually caused the crash.
Showing that drunk driving caused the accident (and your injuries) is often easy to do if you have the right evidence. In fact, most of the common causes of accidents, such as inattention, speeding, and failure to maintain control, can usually be attributed to the slowed reaction time and poor decision making that often accompanies drunk driving.
While proving the connection between driving drunk and the reason the accident occurred is usually easy to do for an experienced attorney, there are still some challenges in establishing causation in a drunk driving case.
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How Can I Prove that a Driver Was Drunk?
Because drunk driving is also a criminal offense, police officers will routinely test drivers’ blood alcohol content (BAC) after an accident that results in an injury or property damage. You can often use this information in your personal injury case. Your attorney can usually help you get this information from the police. It may also be public record in some cases.
The fact that the other driver was convicted of drunk driving can also be helpful for your personal injury case. Criminal cases use a higher standard of proof compared to civil cases like your car accident case.
That means that if the driver was convicted based on this higher standard, then that is a good indication that the other driver will also be “guilty” of drunk driving in your case. Your attorney can help you get court documents and additional information that you can provide to the judge or to an insurance company to show that the driver was convicted of drunk driving.
Driving while drunk violates a duty to drive safely that all drivers have for one another. Proving that a driver was drunk, and as a result violated that duty, can be very beneficial for your case.
How Are Civil and Criminal Cases About Drunk Driving Different?
A driver that chooses to drive while impaired can be hauled into court in two ways – civilly and criminally. The driver may have to go through both proceedings with local courts or just one type of case or the other. Neither case depends on the other, but having a criminal conviction to show the judge in the civil case can be very helpful.
In criminal cases, the goal of the entire process is to deter the conduct from happening again. In some cases, it can also result in training, education, and intervention for those struggling with an alcohol or other drug problem. It is also designed to be a punishment for wrongdoing.
In the civil drunk driving case, the focus is on the harm that the driver caused. The money damages awarded to a victim are designed to cover things like medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering that resulted from the collision.
For your a civil case, you must have some kind of injury or damage for a successful claim. This is one of the essential requirements they must prove to get money damages.
But nearly everyone involved in an accident with a drunk driver ha some kind of damages – whether it’s hospital bills, car repairs, missed work time, or all three. Families are also able to recover wrongful death damages for a loved one who lost their life.
Talk to a Grayson Drunk Driving Lawyer for Free
Drunk driving accidents can be extremely severe. They can affect you or your loved one for the rest of your life. To get the money you deserve to deal with these losses, you need an experienced attorney who knows how to bring a winning drunk driving case. Whether the drunk driver was convicted or not – we can help.
John Foy & Associates has the experience you need to present your case effectively, and we want to put that knowledge and skill to work for you. Let us give you a FREE consultation. Call us at 404-400-4000 or fill out the form to your right and get your FREE consultation today.
404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
