Many people in Tennessee suffer serious personal injuries or die each year as a result of the actions of a drunk driver. The problem is a national one, with similar accidents occurring in every state across the nation.
Statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demonstrate the severity of the issue of drunk driving. In 2012, for example, 10,322 people died in drunk driving collisions. People still drive drunk, however, despite the risks to themselves and others. Although 1.4 million people were charged with drunk driving in 2010, the number was only a small fraction of the 112 million people who admitted to having driven while intoxicated at least once in that year alone.
In 2012, someone died in a drunk driving collision on the average of once every 51 minutes, an average nearly 30 people killed every day. The financial costs are staggering, exceeding $59 billion every year. Sadly, a large percentage of children 14 years of age and younger who are killed in crashes are involved in alcohol-related accidents.
When people are seriously injured in car accidents caused by drunk drivers, they often suffer significant financial expenses and losses as a result. People may incur large medical expenses, have ongoing treatment and rehabilitation needs or may suffer an injury so debilitating they are no longer able to work. People who are seriously injured may be able to recover damages for those losses through a personal injury lawsuit filed against the drunk and negligent motorist. Personal injury attorneys may be able to help their clients by identifying the claims, filing the civil complaint and, if it proceeds to litigation, deposing all accident witnesses.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Impaired Driving: Get the Facts”, accessed on Jan. 10, 2015
