New Year’s Eve is always a time for celebrations, late nights, and often drinking. Though the celebrating can be fun, when it leads to intoxication and drunk driving, it can be deadly. Sadly, this is what happened this New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day as the new year and decade 2020 arrived.
According to ABC 7 News, California Highway patrol “made 491 DUI arrests during the agency’s 2020 New Year’s Day maximum enforcement period.” This period began at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and continued until 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2020. To put that number into perspective the California Highway patrol tweeted “That is the equivalent of removing an impaired driver from the road nearly every four minutes.”
The most devastating part of this report is that at least three deaths occurred as a result of DUI collisions that occurred during the 30-hour holiday enforcement time period. Sadly, this happened even after California police had reminded drivers that during the 2019 New Year’s holiday enforcement period (which lasted 102 hours) “25 people were killed and 270 others were injured in collisions involving impaired drivers.”
CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley stated it best when he said, “Driving while impaired can have tragic results. Whether impaired by alcohol or drugs, the result can lead to arrest, injury or death.” Far too often drivers make the choice to get behind the wheel while intoxicated and it certainly does lead to tragic results. When a person causes an accident because they are driving while intoxicated, not only will they likely face criminal charges, but they are also responsible for compensating those they injure in the process, or in a worse case scenario, the family members if a person is killed in a DUI accident.
Compensation for DUI Personal Injuries or Wrongful Death
The process of obtaining compensation for losses caused by an intoxicated driver includes bringing a civil legal claim (which is a person to person claim, as opposed to a criminal charge) against the driver responsible. If you or a loved one is injured in an accident caused by an intoxicated driver, you would bring a Los Angeles personal injury claim against the driver. Compensation for a personal injury claim can include financial recovery for medical expenses, physical recovery costs, lost earnings, and more. If you lost a loved one in a DUI accident, you can bring a Los Angeles wrongful death claim against the responsible driver. Compensation in a wrongful death case is available to help the family cover the medical bills, funeral and burial expenses, as well as loss earnings and other losses.
Talk to a Skilled Los Angeles Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Attorney
We certainly hope you were able to ring in the New Year safely. However, if you were injured in a New Year’s car accident, or lost someone you love in an accident, reach out to the skilled attorneys at Walch Law. We have years of experience handling DUI and other car accident personal injury and wrongful death claims. We understand how difficult this process is—we can be by your side through the entire process and will support you as you seek the compensation you deserve. To discuss your claim and get your questions answered, contact us today to schedule a free initial case consultation by calling 866-465-8792!