Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Does a DUI Equal Automatic Fault for a Car Accident?

Recent studies show that intoxicated drivers tend to be involved in more car accidents as compared to drivers who are not. In the process they get into more serious accidents because they often tend to drive at excessive speeds. People that tend to drive like this should have this URL (http://accident.usattorneys.com/) in their smart phone.

Whenever a driver receives a driving under the influence or DUI ticket, or a driving while impaired or DWI, it shows that he/she has been arrested for the offense of driving a vehicle with their blood alcohol level exceeding the permissible legal limit.

BAC or Blood Alcohol Concentration

BAC signifies the amount of alcohol present in the blood. Most states have established an acceptable BAC of 0.08 percent. For the most part, BAC is intended to define intoxication as well as to offer an approximate evaluation of impairment, and if the BAC exceeds that level, it is presumed that the driver is intoxicated. Furthermore, if your BAC exceeds the permissible limit, you are presumed negligent if you become involved in a vehicle accident and you will certainly need a drunk driving accident lawyer because charges will be filed against you and possibly even civil charges as well.

You may have made your life a whirlwind of legal excitement but with the right legal help you can walk away from this situation with some hope left. It depends on the severity of the accident but you still have rights and perhaps you are not as guilty as they are making you out to be. Do not give up on yourself. You may not have a lot of fans in your corner right now but this does not mean you are evil.

However and moreover, under the law this remains a mere presumption which can be challenged since there are several other factors involved. It is important to note a driver can become impaired even if he/she doesn’t meet the permissible BAC level. The driver’s impairment can be affected by factors such as height, weight, age, and gender.

Determination of Fault

After the accident, the police officer who is investigating the incident usually writes a report summarizing his/her findings. The police official often expresses in the report an opinion as to who was liable for the accident, but most states count the officer’s statement as just an opinion. Therefore, according to the law, only a judge/jury can determine who was in fact at fault for the accident.

For a court to arrive at that determination, the victim must file a personal injury claim against the drunk driver and they will need a drunk driving accident lawyer to accomplish this properly. For the most part, four factors need to be proved by the injured individual in a car accident case. They are:
  • Duty: It is the duty of a driver to operate his/her vehicle in a safe manner as well as obey the traffic laws.
  • Breach of Duty: The injured person should prove that the at-fault driver was unable to obey the traffic laws.
  • Causation: The injured person must prove that the failure of the other driver to obey the traffic laws did cause the accident.
  • Injury: The plaintiff must prove that the accident resulted in injuries.

If the victim cannot prove even one the four factors, he/she is not eligible to receive any damages, even if the other driver was indeed intoxicated. You may ask how is this possible? Well, sometimes a sober driver can run into a drunk driver. It is rare but it does happen. They will still receive a DUI though and need a legal representative. 


If you drink and drive, chances are that you will be held liable to pay for damages. This includes compensatory damages for the cost of medical treatment, lost income, suffering and pain, and other related issues. Typically, automobile insurance will cover you for compensatory damages, but not for punitive damages.

You do not need the Force

As you can see, a car accident case is riddled with complications, which is why it is always prudent to hire a drunk driving accident lawyer to help you see this through. There is one positive aspect of all this – finding a fantastic lawyer is not that difficult any more. The recent Star Wars movie may be disappointing but this website is not. You do not need the force to use it, just the Internet. Click and get yourself a legal representative. 

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