Florida Drunk Driver Accidents

In the United States, people are not allowed to get behind the wheel of a vehicle if their blood alcohol level is greater than 0.08. That is roughly equivalent to consuming two glasses of wine or two beers in an hour. But even with these strict laws, in 2012, 10,322 people were killed in drunk driving accidents in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That is approximately one-third of all traffic-related deaths.

Here in Florida, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says that in 2010, 12,168 injuries and 794 deaths resulted from alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents occurred.

What can I do if a loved one or I was injured or killed in a drunk driving accident?

Florida is a "no-fault" insurance state. This means that the fault of an accident is not determined after an accident when considering initial injury claims. A driver is required to have a personal injury protection (PIP) insurance policy on a vehicle. You or your loved one can utilize the PIP policy from the vehicle you were in at the time of the accident.

The policy will pay for lost wages and medical bills – but if serious bodily injuries occurred from the accident and a driver was legally intoxicated at the time of the accident, you could be eligible for more significant compensation. If this has occurred, you need to contact a Florida personal injury attorney. A lawyer can help you understand the legal standing of your case and your rights.

Serious bodily injury could be:

How do you prove that someone was intoxicated at the time of an accident?

After an accident, if alcohol or drugs are suspected, law enforcement will conduct a field sobriety test and a blood or breath test. If the driver is found to be driving over the legal limit, he or she will be charged with Driving Under the Influence. If the accident resulted in the death or injury of a person, the driver could be charged with DUI Causing Serious Bodily Injury or manslaughter. When this happens, the driver has not fulfilled his or her statutory duty.

If you, or a family member have been the victim of a Florida drunk driver accident, call us today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587).