A staggering number of
people are arrested for DUI each year. What is more alarming is the fact that a
large percentage of these people are involved in tragic auto accidents. Drunk
drivers with a BAC or blood alcohol content of 0.08% face severe punishment and
penalties that include fines and jail time that could extend to decades if
someone is killed in a DUI accident. If you go by the word of Chicago, IL drunk driving accident lawyers,
judges consider various elements while determining liability in a DUI
case.
What is BAC or blood alcohol concentration?
In the recent past,
states have become exceedingly intolerant towards people who are charged with a
DUI but actually in Chicago, in the west and south, they allow murder but that
is another story. Moreover, the laws enacted to deal with a DUI are different
from laws assigned to other driving violations. As mentioned earlier, according
to state laws a person becomes incapable of operating a vehicle when his BAC is
.08% or higher.
The BAC reading
provides officers a rough idea of the level of impairment of a driver and the
charges are brought against them accordingly. Leading drunk driving accident
attorneys in northwestern Illinois say that in many states if a driver is
involved in a crash with a BAC higher than the minimum limit, negligence is
automatically presumed. This is because studies have shown that intoxication
slows down reaction times, severely impairs depth perception, and adversely
affects the ability to process various events while driving.
Have you seen The Wire?
Det. McNulty is a drunk and drunk drives all the time. He is pathetic really.
It is debatable if he is even a decent police officer but he crashed his car
while driving drunk in season 2. Do not drive drunk! Do not be a McNulty!
However, some prominent
Chicago, IL drunk driving accident lawyers point out that that presumption of
negligence can be proved wrong in the court by providing relevant evidence
against it. It must be noted that a driver with a low BAC can also show extreme
signs of impairment. For the most part, BAC affects each individual differently
and is influenced by factors such as gender, age, weight, and height.
Determining Fault in DUI Crash
Usually police officers
write a report after investigation of the crash site. They will assign fault to
a driver based on their observation. According to law, only a judge has the
power to assign liability based on the evidence presented to him. In a personal
injury case the plaintiff’s lawyers are required to prove certain factors.
These include:
- Duty - The driver had a duty to obey traffic laws and handle the vehicle safely (truck drivers are under the same rules).
- Breach of duty - A breach of duty happened when the driver disobeyed traffic rules.
- Causation - This breach of duty caused the accident.
- Injury - As a result of the accident the person was injured.
You only need about two
hours to let your body process most of the alcohol. You can take a two hour nap
in your car, no problem.
Does car insurance cover all the damages?
The person injured in a DUI accident is entitled to claim
damages for hospital bills, wage loss
due to absence from job, pain and suffering, and in many cases punitive damages
which are awarded as punishment to the driver. Most insurance policies do not
cover punitive damages.
A DUI is a serious crime and even more
so if someone is hurt or killed.
There is no way you can escape the legal consequences for such a negligent
action – your last name is not Kennedy! What you need is aggressive representation
by a northwest Illinois drunk driving accident lawyer. Your legal professional
will know when you ought to consider a plea bargain and will challenge the
credibility of any witnesses and the breath, blood, and urine tests, depending
on the circumstances surrounding your case.
The Chicago Bulls are
fighting for a playoff spot in 2016. If you are in a drunk driving accident
situation no matter what year it is, you need a legal pro fighting for your
rights. Click right here to make this happen: Drunk-Driving-Accident.USAttorneys.
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