Jacksonville Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys
If you or a loved one have suffered a serious bodily injury or death as a result of an accident in which the at-fault driver was intoxicated, the car accident attorneys of Abbott Law Group would like to speak to you today about your legal options.
Suffering a serious bodily injury in a car accident in which the at-fault driver was intoxicated can cause overwhelming distress and agonizing pain for both the victim and the victim’s family for months, and even years, after the accident occurs. Losing a loved one in a drunk driving car accident can be even more traumatic for the victim’s family.
Alcohol-related car accidents are mostly preventable because the at-fault driver has to make the conscious decision to drive while intoxicated. This selfish disregard for the safety of other drivers both warrants and encourages victims and victims’ families to hold drunk drivers accountable for their actions by filing lawsuits against them.
What is an Alcohol-related Car Accident?
In Florida, drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of at least 0.08% are considered alcohol-impaired according to the state’s law. An alcohol DUI car accident occurs when the at-fault driver hits another vehicle, some other piece of property, a biker, or a pedestrian while driving with a BAC of 0.08% or higher, and the victim is injured or dies as a result of the accident.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in every three traffic deaths in the United States involves a drunk driver. From the year 2003 to 2012, over 8,400 people were killed in alcohol-related car accidents in Florida. While the number of drunk driving and alcohol-related crashes have gone down in recent years, there are still entirely too many victims who have suffered serious injuries or deaths as a result of a drunk driver.
Civil Liability for Drunk Driving Accidents
While alcohol-related car accidents may be criminally punishable as felonies, especially where serious injuries or fatalities result, these criminal punishments do nothing to compensate the victims for their injuries and other damages.
In every state in the U.S., including Florida, drivers have a legal duty to do everything that they can to avoid jeopardizing the safety of other drivers, bikers, and pedestrians on the road.
When a driver fails to adhere to this legal duty, he or she may be held legally liable under a theory of negligence when someone is injured or killed as a result. The act of getting behind the wheel of a car while under the influence of alcohol or drugs definitely constitutes negligence.
If you or a loved one were injured as a result of an alcohol-related car accident, you should contact an experienced car accident attorney in order to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver.
Florida Car Accident Lawyers
If you are the recent victim of a drug and alcohol-related or DUI car accident, you may be legally entitled to financial compensation for past and future medical bills, pain and suffering, loss of income and future earnings, and lowered quality of life, in addition to compensation for your damaged car or other property.
In addition, if you lost a family member in an alcohol-related car accident, you may be entitled to compensation under the legal theory of wrongful death. The car accident lawyers of Abbott Law Group have over 35 years of experience litigating and settling car accident cases. Their experience extends to a wide variety of car accident cases, including drunk driving accidents, in Florida and throughout the United States. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
Our lawyers, legal nurses, and paralegal’s experience at the Abbott Law Group extends to a wide variety of car accident cases, including drunk driving accidents, in Jacksonville and throughout Florida. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.