Articles Posted in DUI/DWI Car Accidents

Despite decades of public safety campaigns on the dangers of drunk driving, statistics indicate that DUI accidents remain a significant problem. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle (FLHSMV) reports almost 5,000 crashes involving an impaired driver every year. More than 350 people are killed in these incidents, and another 2,885 suffer injuries in DUI collisions, leading to significant losses for victims and their entire families. 

Drunk driving is a crime, and it is charged as a felony in Florida when a person is killed or injured in a DUI accident. If you were hurt or lost a loved one, you may qualify for a special type of damages because of the at-fault party’s outrageously dangerous conduct. Punitive damages may be available in your case, which would increase the amount you can recover if you are eligible. You should discuss details with a Miami DUI accident attorney, but some basics about punitive damages can be informative.

How Punitive Damages Work

Regardless of the decriminalization and legalization of pot in states across the US, NO jurisdiction has made it OK to drive while under the influence of marijuana. Unfortunately, statistics from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reveal that a ban on drugged driving has not deterred motorists from getting behind the wheel while high. There are more than 100 crashes linked to drug and drug/alcohol use every year, leading to almost 50 fatalities and 100 injuries to victims. 

Just like DUI, drugged driving is against the law because of the implications on a motorist’s ability to safely operate a vehicle. However, there are key differences with these cases when pursuing an at-fault driver for compensation. One of the most critical is the possible lack of evidence: Whereas you might have proof of BAC via a breathalyzer for a DUI collision, no at-the-scene tests exist to show drug consumption. You can rely on a Miami drugged driving accidents attorney to develop a strategy, but some tips are useful in overcoming this challenge.

What to Do After a Drugged Driving Crash

DUI and drugged driving have ranked as a top cause of car accidents for decades, but another threat that is almost as dangerous has been making headlines for the last few years — distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 2,841 drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists were killed because of distracted driving in 2018. That figure is far less than the 10,511 victims who died in drunk driving crashes, but the trend is still cause of alarm. Any time a motorist is texting, talking on the phone, eating, adjusting the radio, or engaged in other tasks, there is a risk of a serious collision. 

Though DUI crashes may lead to more fatalities, it is still worth looking at additional statistics on the dangers and how distracted driving causes Miami car accidents.

Statistics Comparing Drunk and Distracted Driving

jonathan-borba-1598686-unsplash-copy-300x200One minute, visitors to a Port Charlotte Harley-Davidson store were listening to a live concert; the next, they were running for their lives from a luxury sports car that an intoxicated woman plowed into the crowd. According to a June 12, 2019 article in the Miami Herald, none of the concertgoers were injured in the chaos that ensued. However, the local country music star who was headlining the event suffered injuries to his foot. Upon arriving at the scene, police detained the woman for questioning, and eventually arrested her for DUI, among other charges.

The penalties for DUI are harsh in Florida, including fines, jail time, and a driver’s license suspension. Unfortunately, these sanctions do nothing for victims who are injured as a result of a drunk driving collision. You do have rights if you are hurt in a DUI crash, and a Florida car accident attorney can assist with your claim. Some general information regarding these cases may also be helpful.

Comparing Criminal and Civil DUI Cases

Our Miami personal injury law firm found a very interesting report that was recently released. The study’s outcome was to determine whether ride-sharing services, such as Uber, have contributed to a decrease in accidents related to driving under the influence over a certain period of time. The implication here being that as people that may be too intoxicated to drive and then call sober ride-share drivers for their ride home, there are less drunk drivers on the road causing accidents. However, apparently the results of this study found that this was not necessarily the case in all American cities.

The study looked at the availability of the ride share service Uber (currently the largest among ride-sharing companies, which purportedly also include: Lyft, Sidecar, Wingz, Summon, Taxify, Haxi, Didi Chuxing, and Moovn) from 2013-2016 in four major cities in the United States. The study author is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Injury Science Center.

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According to several news reports, a young woman was killed by police officers after she reportedly crashed into two vehicles, and according to onsite officers and witness accounts, attempted to flee the scene.

Late Sunday night of the holiday weekend, according to police the driver of a black BMW sedan and her companion got into the vehicle and sped into oncoming traffic on Ocean Drive, which resulted in collisions with two separate vehicles– all in full view of people looking on from the sidewalk.

Sources report that the car first ran a red light, which led to a collision with one vehicle. The passenger in the car that was hit reported that the light was clearly green and that two other cars had already gone through the intersection at the time of impact, and that he believed the driver was going at least 60 miles per hour.

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