Different legal protections are available to victims of drunk driving accidents and their families. The Ohio State Patrol recently reported that the number of car accidents that involved a driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs numbered 39 during 2017 in one Ohio County north of the Hamilton County area. Overall, for District 2, which includes parts of Hamilton County, 807 car accidents were reported that involved a driver that was under the influence. In addition, authorities reported that driving under the influence of drugs and distracted driving were on the rise.
Drunk drivers can cause serious accidents, harm and damages and can be responsible to victims for the harm they cause. Authorities from one Ohio community reported 237 arrests of drivers who were driving under the influence. In addition to criminal penalties drunk drivers may face, they may also face civil liability to victims and their families harmed in a drunk driving accident.
Drunk driving accidents can result in physical, financial and emotional harm to victims. They may also result in the death of the victim and leave families grieving the loss of a loved one. As a result, the legal process provides protections for both surviving victims of drunk driving accidents injured in a drunk driving crash and surviving family members of victims killed in a drunk driving accident. Both personal injury and wrongful death claims for damages can help victims and their families recover compensation for the physical, financial and emotional damages they have suffered at the hands of a drunk driver.
When a drunk driver is facing criminal charges following a drunk driving accident, the criminal charges they are facing may be used as evidence of their negligence in a personal injury or wrongful death claim for damages. Because of the extensive damages victims of drunk driving accidents and their families may face, it is important for them to be familiar with the different ways the legal process protects them and the different remedies that may be available to them.
Source: Telegraph Forum, “Driving under the influence a factor in 39 Crawford County crashes in 2017,” Olivia Minnier, march 6, 2018
