When a Drunk Driver Causes a Car Accident
For anyone involved in a drunk driver accident in Lynchburg, the experience can be a life-altering event. As an innocent victim, and through no fault of their own, they may be injured or killed by the negligent behavior of an impaired driver. At Randall J. Trost, P.C., our accident and personal injury attorneys have helped drunk driving accident victims throughout the state of Virginia since 1982. We understand the serious ramifications these types of accidents can create, and the uncertainty and questions many victims are faced with. We believe that drivers who cause injuries to others by drinking and driving must be held accountable for their actions. Fortunately, victims of drunk driving have legal options they can pursue.
In the state of Virginia, the legal limit for DUI/DWI is a BAC of .08, although one can still be convicted with a BAC of less than .08. Like most states, drunk driving is considered a straightforward case of personal liability. If you are injured by a drunk driver, that party is then responsible to pay the victim’s medical bills and other related damages. However, Virginia also allows victims of drunk drivers to collect punitive damages if certain criteria are met. Because Virginia’s personal injury laws don’t always favor injury victims, as it is one of several states with pure contributory negligence laws, it is important to contact us immediately after any type of injury accident.
Erratic Driving Behaviors Common Among Drunk Drivers:
- Swaying or swerving out of designated lanes
- Sudden and unnecessary braking
- Exceeding or driving less than the speed limit
- Driving the wrong way on one-way roads or highways
- Failing to react to slowing traffic or obstacles
- Ignoring traffic signals or stop signs
Virginia Drunk Driving Statistics
In 2017, there were 127,375 total crashes in the state of Virginia, with 65,306 injuries and 843 fatalities. Of these crashes, 7,285 were alcohol-related and resulted in 4,430 injuries and 248 fatalities. While drunk driving crashes contributed to less than 1% of the total accidents and injuries statewide for the year, they resulted in an astounding 30% of the fatalities.
On average, there is a crash every 4.1 minutes in the state of Virginia, with 179 persons injured per day and 2.3 lives lost per day because of traffic crashes.
Types of Crashes Caused by Impaired Drivers
Drunk Driver Accident Lynchburg,VA
Head-on collisions
Rear-end collisions
Because impaired drivers are often unable to pay close attention to the road, they can often miss traffic slowing or stopping in front of them. This can cause them to crash into the backs of other cars. While some people discount rear-end crashes as “fender-benders,” they actually have the potential to cause severe injuries.