Drunk driving is a huge problem in the United States. In 2018 alone, 10,511 people lost their lives to drunk driving accidents. Most people know that driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol is dangerous and illegal, but almost 30 people per day die in drunk driving crashes, regardless.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 1 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) in 2016. Of these drivers, about 1/3 were repeat offenders. Drivers with prior DUI convictions are also overrepresented in fatal crashes, which means they are more likely to be involved in a car accident that takes someone’s life.
As such, most states require anyone convicted of a DUI to undergo an evaluation regarding their alcohol consumption. These “per se” laws assume that people who get DUIs struggle with alcoholism. Sometimes, drunk drivers are required to pursue alcohol addiction treatment before they can have their driving privileges restored.
How Your Civil Suit Can Help
Many people do not realize they have a drinking problem until they get a DUI or cause an accident. If you are harmed by a drunk driver, the best thing you can do is come forward. When someone who struggles with alcoholism realizes the consequences of their actions, they may be more likely to pursue treatment.
Civil litigation can help you recover important compensation, but it can also help the defendant come to terms with the gravity of their drinking problem. Listening to your story may be the inciting incident for someone to get help, and with civil litigation, the defendant will not end up behind bars, which may give them the opportunity they need to attend an alcohol rehabilitation program.
All too often, we see clients who hesitate to pursue legal action because they don’t want to make a bad situation worse. In reality, a civil lawsuit can have benefits for everyone involved. Not only will you take care of your medical expenses and other damages, but you may also prevent the same thing from happening to someone else in the future, and you could even inspire the person who harmed you to get the help they need.
File Today
If you’ve been harmed in a drunk driving accident, our team at Pierce, Sloan, Kennedy & Early LLC encourages you to share your story with us. We can help you get started with a personal injury lawsuit, and we promise to keep your goals in mind throughout.
For a free consultation, please call us at (843) 968-0886 today or simply send us a message online.
We look forward to helping you do the right thing for you and everyone involved.