The 4th of July is generally a day filled with food, family and friends, and fireworks as people across the nation celebrate America. These celebrations often include alcohol and far too often people make the dangerous choice to drive while intoxicated. As a result, a significant increase in drunk driving arrests and car accidents occur.
This was the case in California over the most recent 4th of July holiday weekend. According to KTLA News, “nearly 600 suspected drunken drivers have been arrested statewide and a dozen people killed in crashes… [during] the long Fourth of July holiday weekend.” CHP began a maximum enforcement period on July 3rd that continued through Sunday July 7th.
Police reported that a total of 589 DUI arrests were made between 6 p.m. July 3rd and 6 a.m. July 5th. This is up from last year, when 389 drivers were arrested for drunk driving in a 30-hour period which worked out to be an arrest almost every 5 minutes.
CHP repeatedly urged drivers not to drive while intoxicated over the holiday weekend and even tweeted the reminder that “We’re Out here!!!” Still, far too many drivers chose to drive while intoxicated causing several California car accidents which resulted in 12 wrongful deaths, including two pedestrians, according to CHP.
Perhaps the most tragic part about these types of accidents is that DUI crashes and the deaths they cause are totally preventable. Instead of driving, intoxicated individuals have options to use a ride-sharing app such as Uber or Lyft to get home, plan ahead to select a designated driver, or take public transit. Drivers should never get behind the wheel when intoxicated as a drunk driving accident can instantly cause irreversible harm and hurt entire families who lose loved ones as a result.
If someone you love was killed in a Southern California DUI related accident over the holiday weekend, you should contact an experienced Los Angeles wrongful death attorney immediately. When a person is killed by a driver who carelessly chose to drive while intoxicated, that driver will be liable to the victim’s family for the victim’s death. With the help of a wrongful death attorney, family members can bring a wrongful death claim against the responsible driver on the victim’s behalf. A wrongful death claim allows the family members to obtain financial recovery for the unexpected medical bills, as well as funeral and burial costs. They may also be able to get loss of earnings damages.
The holidays and summertime often lead to an increase in car accidents due to more drivers on the road—unfortunately, many of these drivers make the dangerous choice of driving while intoxicated. If you are dealing with the untimely loss of a family member as a result of a holiday DUI accident, the skilled attorneys at Walch Law can help. We have years of experience handling wrongful death cases that result from DUI accidents. We are available to meet with you in a free consultation to discuss your options and give you direction on how to proceed. Contact us online or by phone at 866-465-8792.