When a driver gets behind the wheel after having too many drinks, it's not just the driver who suffers the consequences of his or her bad acts. All too often, other innocent people are seriously injured or killed when a drunk driver causes a car accident. Despite stricter laws, increased enforcement and education efforts, people continue to drink and drive and continue to hurt those who don't.
If you are the victim of a drunk driving accident or a drunken assault in Memphis or throughout Tennessee, you do have rights. Whether you've been injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, attacked by someone who has had too much to drink or were served alcohol despite being underage and caused injury to yourself, a Memphis drunk driving injury attorney can help you understand what you can do to recover money from the person at fault.
Understanding Who Is Responsible for the Drunk Driving Accident
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that nearly 11,000 people are killed each year by drunk drivers. Between midnight and 3am, someone is killed by a drunk driver every 23 minutes.
It may seem fairly obvious that the person who drove drunk is responsible for the injuries that he or she caused. A Memphis drunk driving attorney can assist you with asserting your right to compensation for your injuries to any applicable insurance provider or to the person at fault.
But, many may not realize that Tennessee also considers the person or business who served an intoxicated driver too many drinks at least partly responsible for injuries caused by a drunk-driving accident. Dram shop liability, or liquor liability laws, restrict bars and any place that serves alcohol from over-serving and allows victims to assert rights to compensation against those businesses when they fail to properly monitor alcohol service.
Memphis Drunk Driving Injuries
Drunk driving accidents truly aren't car accidents at all. The drunk driver chose to drink and chose to drive. Driving under the influence, while illegal, is ultimately a choice that the driver makes him or herself. It is not a choice that victim's make, but it is often the innocent victims who suffer the greatest consequences.
Injuries not uncommon in drunk driving accidents include bruises, broken bones, whiplash, head injuries and internal injuries caused by the car collision. Drunk driving accidents can also result in death, even when the drunk driver is able to get up and walk away. If you've been injured by a drunk driver, a Memphis drunk driving accident attorney can help you get the compensation you need from the driver who caused your injuries or the business who over-served the driver so that you can focus on recovery.
