Recently, a study was done analyzing the number of fatal drunk driving crashes during “brunch hours” in the United States. In this study, “brunch hours” were defined as between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The data analyzed came from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which compared drunk driving car crashes from state to state between 2013 and 2017.
Maryland had 56 drunk driving fatalities between 2013 and 2017. This ranks Maryland as 18th highest for drunk driving fatalities during brunch hours. Maryland’s 11.16% drunk driving fatality rate can be compared to the leading state, Alaska, the top state, which had a drunk driving fatality rate of 19.67 % of drunk driving crashes during brunch hours. New Jersey was the lowest state for drunk driving fatality rates during brunch hours, with only 7.07 % of drunk driving rashes during brunch hours.
Drunk Driving Crashes Shouldn’t Just Result in Criminal Charges
Of course, everybody knows that driving while intoxicated is against the law. In fact, even if the person does not appear intoxicated, if the driver has a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more, they are considered legally intoxicated, even if they don’t show signs of impairment. When a person who is legally intoxicated causes a crash that results in property damage, injury, or death of another, they should be held accountable. In addition to criminal charges, a lawsuit can be filed to compensate the injured victim, or, in the case of death, the victim’s family, for the damage the drunk driver caused. This is true even if the drunk driver also died as a result of the crash.
Compensation for Drunk Driving
If you are a loved one who has been injured due to the actions of a drunk driver, you may be entitled to compensation. Compensation can include:
- Ambulance costs
- Emergency room costs
- Surgery costs
- Rehabilitation costs
- Medically necessary equipment
- The cost of transportation to and from treatment
- Physical therapy
- Prescription medications
- Durable medical equipment
- Doctor’s visits
- Lost wages
- Lost overtime
- Sick leave
This is not an exhaustive list, but it gives you an idea of what may be compensated. In addition, if your loved one was killed due to the actions of a drunk driver, you may be entitled to funeral expenses. You may also be entitled to additional compensation, depending on the facts and circumstances of your case.
Have You Been Injured by a Drunk Driver?
If you have been injured by a drunk driver, or if you have lost a loved one due to the careless actions of a drunk driver, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the legal team at Gilman & Bedigian, LLC for a no-cost initial consultation at 800.529.6162. We only charge you a fee if we win your case. You have nothing to lose. Call today.
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