Most of what you read online about drunk driving has to do with the criminal penalties for DWI. You read about the consequences for the drunk drivers. It is not hard to find resources if you are stopped for driving drunk and are looking for a lawyer to represent you. Of course, if you were driving sober and were injured in a car accident involving a drunk driver, there are also legal resources available for you. Contact a personal injury attorney at the soonest opportunity; if the driver who hit your car was drunk, you very likely have a very strong case.
Why It Matters That the Driver Was Drunk
In almost any personal injury lawsuit that relates to an accident, negligence is a key term. You try to make the case that, while the defendant did not intentionally cause the accident, he could have prevented the accident if he had been more careful. This failure to take appropriate measures to prevent accidents constitutes negligence. When a drunk driver causes a car accident, especially if the accident involves injuries, it is an unambiguous case of negligence. Furthermore, if law enforcement documented the instance of drunk driving, your case is even stronger. Likewise, you may even have a case against someone other than the drunk driver. For example, you can argue that the bartender was negligent in continuing to serve alcohol to a drunk person who had driven himself to the bar or that the bartender did not do enough to prevent the drunk driver from driving.
Facts About Drunk Driving in Missouri
- Missouri has a higher rate of fatal traffic accidents related to drunk driving than the national average.
- Meanwhile, the rate of drunk driving in Missouri is very close to the national average. Missouri drivers are not more likely to drive after drinking than drivers in the rest of the country, but they are at higher risk of catastrophic accidents when they do drive drunk.
- The demographic group most well represented among victims of drunk driving crashes is men between the ages of 21 and 34.
- Missouri allows security checkpoints. If drivers refuse sobriety tests, they can face arrest, but some refuse the sobriety test and risk being arrested on the grounds that they consider sobriety tests inaccurate and unfair and think they have a better case in court for their DWI charges if they do not take the sobriety test.
- Three out of 10 fatal car accidents in Missouri involve a drunk driver.
Contact Walton Telken Foster About Car Accident Cases
Car accidents that involve a drunk driver are not simply bad luck; negligence is clearly at play, whether on the part of the drunk driver or someone else. If you were injured by a drunk driver, a personal injury lawyer can help you recover the compensation that is due to you. Contact Walton Telken Foster in the St. Louis area to discuss your case.
