One of the many difficult aspects of coming to terms with accidents caused by drunk drivers that result in serious injuries like traumatic brain injury (TBI) has to do with why the driver responsible got into his or her car in the first place. The answer, while providing no comfort to victims and their family members, is grounded in the baseless assumption that it is safe to have “just a few drinks” before driving.
The Increased Risk of Injury by Drunk Drivers
To measure the increased danger of driving under the influence, studies have shown that a driver who has a blood alcohol content (BAC) of at least .08% is 11 times more likely to become the victim of a fatal accident.
Those same studies showed that a BAC of .10% increases the risk of a drunk driver becoming fatally injured in a car accident by 29 times. Some analyses have even concluded that a BAC of as little as .02% raises the likelihood of a collision.
How an Attorney Can Help with Your Case
If you have been the victim of one of these senseless accidents caused by drunk drivers, an Atlanta personal injury attorney can help you in the following ways:
- Collecting evidence;
- Interviewing witnesses who saw the accident first-hand;
- Acquiring and reviewing police tapes and accident reports;
- Pulling DUI court records, including breathalyzer results and field sobriety test conclusions;
- Discovering additional parties who can be held liable, such as a bar or liquor store that furnished the driver with alcohol if he or she was already “noticeable intoxicated;” and
- Dealing with the insurance companies and adjusters so that you can focus on your recovery.
Contact an Atlanta Brain Injury Lawyer
After a serious or fatal car accident, you and your family may be dealing with the grief of a serious injury, such as TBI, or the loss of a loved one and financial burdens. During this difficult time, it’s easy to get frustrated with your situation – you didn’t deserve to suffer due to the negligence of another!
Each Atlanta personal injury attorney at Shane Smith Law gets it; we know the frustration our clients are experiencing when dealing with insurance companies.
Many of our clients don’t know how to hire a lawyer, that’s why we offer 2 FREE guides, I Was Hit By a Drunk Driver: What Do I Do Next? and 10 Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Georgia Wreck Case. Our guides contain valuable information on how to handle filing a claim for serious injuries or wrongful death caused by a negligent driver and how a personal injury lawyer can benefit your claim. When you’re ready to get started on your claim, contact us to set up a FREE consultation – (980) 246-2656