In the United States, there are around 28 fatal drunk driving or alcohol-related car accidents every single day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Traffic Safety Facts report. There is one of those every 52 minutes. In 2019, 10,142 people lost their lives as a result of drunk driving incidents. Sadly, every single one of these fatalities could have been avoided. Alcohol-related impairment can significantly increase the severity of an accident’s injuries.
In the event that you or a loved one has suffered injuries as a result of a drunk driver’s carelessness, it is imperative that you get legal advice as soon as possible.
How Alcohol Affects Your Ability to Drive
Alcohol significantly impairs brain activity, thinking, motor control, and reasoning. Driving safely requires a lot of these things.
Blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, is a measurement of how much alcohol is in a given volume of blood, which is used to determine a person’s blood alcohol level. Depending on how much alcohol a person drinks, their likelihood of being in an accident rises significantly. Nevertheless, even modest blood alcohol concentrations can impair driving. Both blood tests and the Breathalyzer, a tool that detects alcohol in a driver’s breath, can be used to determine BAC levels.
A Car Accident Caused by Alcohol and How to Get Compensation
You could be entitled to compensation for your injuries if you or a member of your family was hurt in a car accident where the at-fault driver was intoxicated. Drivers in South Carolina need to carry the following minimum amounts of liability and uninsured motorist insurance:
- $50,000 for each accident’s bodily harm
- $25,000 for each person injured physically
- a $25,000 cap on accidental property damage
When a motor vehicle collision that the policyholder was at fault results in injuries to others, bodily injury coverage shields the policyholder from lawsuits brought by those injured. If a policyholder causes damage to another person’s property, the harm is covered under property damage coverage. Property can encompass things like machinery, fences, walls, buildings, and other things in addition to automobiles. Uninsured motorist protection, however, offers immediate protection to the policyholder. When a hit-and-run driver leaves the scene of the accident, you may be able to use your uninsured motorist coverage to pay for damages to your vehicle and any injuries you sustain.
