Drunk Driving Accidents

Experienced car accident attorneys in South Carolina who understand exactly how serious drunk driving claims like yours are and who are committed to helping

There are a lot of dangerous accidents on our roadways, but some of the most tragic, serious, and completely preventable are drunk driving accidents. Every motorist recognizes the dangers posed by drinking and driving, yet some drivers don’t give a second thought to getting behind the wheel while impaired. These are exceptionally dangerous drivers who often leave others seriously injured by their negligence. If you’ve been injured in a car accident that was caused by a drunk driver, consulting with an experienced South Carolina car accident attorney sooner rather than later is well advised.

The Impairments Suffered

Drunk drivers suffer serious impairments that severely limit their ability to drive safely, and the level of impairment increases with the amount of alcohol the motorist has consumed. Consider the following examples:

• The physical impairments caused by alcohol make guiding a car safely through traffic far less likely.
• Alcohol consumption can lead to the sensory impairment of distorted vision, which makes seeing what is actually happening on the road more difficult and which, in turn, makes driving safely nearly impossible.
• Alcohol can also lead to cognitive impairments that often translate to unsafe driving decisions behind the wheel. The fact that impaired drivers also experience losses related to impulse control and to inhibitions only makes the situation that much more treacherous.

The Statistics Tell a Sobering Story

It is well established that drunk drivers are dangerous, but the following statistics reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demonstrate exactly how dangerous:

• Each year, the average cost of drunk driving accidents in the United States exceeds $44 billion.
• About 29 people are killed in drunk driving accidents every day in this country. This means that there is a death caused by a drunk driver every 50 minutes.
• 29 percent of all fatal accidents in 2016 were caused by drunk drivers, and this adds up to a whopping total of nearly 10,500 deadly drunk driving accidents.
• In 2016 alone, drunk driving arrests exceeded 1 million, but this represents only a tiny fraction of the total number of motorists who reported that they’d driven while impaired that year.

Drunk driving is exceptionally dangerous, and far too many motorists refuse to give up the practice.

Your Damages

The damages – or losses – you suffer as a result of being injured by a drunk driver can be financially, physically, and emotionally overwhelming.

Your Medical Bills

If a drunk driver leaves you seriously injured, you can expect to face mounting medical expenses that can include any combination of the following:

• Emergency care
• Surgical care
• Hospitalization
• Care from doctors, specialists, and other medical professionals
• Pain management
• Medical treatment, procedures, tests, and care
• Physical therapy
• Rehabilitation
• Prescription medications
• Adaptive physical devices
• Home health care

If your injuries lead to ongoing and/or secondary health concerns, you can expect your medical costs to grow even higher.

Your Lost Income from Employment

You’re injured, and the healing process can be lengthy and arduous, which can lead to time off from your job and to attendant lost earnings. If your ability to grow in your career is also affected, the financial losses you experience are likely to be even more significant.

Your Physical and Emotional Pain and Suffering

While the damages you can put a price tag on are likely to be significant, it’s important not to lose sight of the physical and emotional challenges you endure. Physical pain is difficult to overcome, but when it’s coupled with the emotional pain and suffering that is closely associated with the violent, terrifying car accidents often caused by impairment, it can make moving forward toward recovery much more so.

The Insurance Company Handling Your Claim

If a drunk driver’s obvious negligence has seriously injured you, and this means that the other driver’s insurance company will be covering your claim. It does not mean that the company is going to cover your damages adequately without any pushback from you. The insurance company is in the business of covering accident claims, but it is also in business to turn a considerable profit. Its primary means of accomplishing this task is by keeping settlements like yours as low as it can get away with. There are a variety of tactics that insurance companies routinely turn to in their profit-making efforts.

Denying Claims

If the insurance company denies your claim on its face, don’t let them dissuade you from moving forward with a lawsuit – and with a dedicated car accident attorney by your side. Claims denial is a trick insurance companies turn to when they think they can make a claim disappear from the outset, but the insurance company does not have the final word, and you shouldn’t be scared away by this ploy.

Making an Early Settlement Offer

When an insurance company rushes in with an early settlement offer, it’s generally attempting to settle the matter before the claimant has time to fully appreciate the extent of his or her damages.

Complicating the Process

The insurance claims process is complicated and lengthy, to begin with, but if the insurance company chooses to make it more so, it leaves claimants at a distinct disadvantage, and some simply give up. There are laws against such practices, and your skilled car accident attorney knows how to fight back via the legal process.

Don’t Delay Consulting with an Experienced South Carolina Car Accident Attorney

The impressive car accident attorneys at David Aylor Law Offices in South Carolina are well positioned and well prepared to skillfully advocate for compensation that covers your full range of damages and that allows you to move forward toward recovery with confidence. We’re on your side and here to offer help, so please don’t hesitate to contact or call us at 843-548-1574 to schedule your free case evaluation today.