West Tennessee Car Crashes Caused by Drunk Drivers Devastate Lives

Despite the known risks, thousands of drunk drivers get behind the wheel every year. Although no one is allowed to operate a vehicle with a BAC above 0.08%, too many reckless drivers think they can beat the system. What they might not realize is that impaired driving causes reduced reaction time, decreased concentration, inhibited judgment, decreased coordination, and blurred vision. Drunk drivers are more likely to speed, run traffic lights, and exhibit aggressive driving behaviors.

Frightening drunk driving statistics

The numbers do not lie—driving while intoxicated is seriously dangerous, according to statistics from MADD and the CDC:

• 28 people in the U.S. die each day due to drunk drivers
• Every two minutes a person is injured because of an impaired driver
• 209 children died in 2015 in alcohol-related crashes
• An average drunk driver has operated a vehicle while intoxicated more than 80 times before an arrest
• In 2015, 10,265 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes
• Two out of three people will be involved in a drunk driving accident in their lifetime

The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $44 billion.

Filing a personal injury claim against an impaired driver

Immediately following an accident, the impaired driver is, hopefully, arrested and charged with a DUI. This will help your claim immensely as it will be easier to prove the driver’s negligence. After you are treated for your injuries and before you speak with an insurance adjuster, consult an attorney from Bailey & Greer, PLLC. One of our Memphis car accident lawyers can help you obtain full compensation for your:

• Medical expenses
• Property damage
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress

In addition, your legal counsel may seek punitive damages, which is additional compensation paid to the victim with the intent to punish the drunk driver and deter future negligent behavior. If a driver was coming from a bar or restaurant that served alcohol, we may pursue compensation from the establishment that overserved the driver and allowed him or her to operate a vehicle afterwards.

If someone you love perished as the result of an intoxicated driver, consider filing a wrongful death suit on his or her behalf. Money will never fill the void of your lost loved one, but compensation can help offset expenses you have incurred—and hold the reckless driver accountable.

For a no-cost consultation with a car accident attorney from Bailey & Greer, PLLC, call 901-680-9777 or complete a contact form. We have offices in Memphis and Jackson, and serve clients throughout Western Tennessee.