In Florida, an automobile driver is legally intoxicated or drunk if their blood alcohol content (BAC) level is at .08 percent or above. For many people, they are legally drunk after as little as two drinks in an hour. The family members of loved ones may bring a wrongful death action against the person who caused the drunk driving accident. Our attorneys have represented many families in similar situations. Similarly, if the drunk driving accident didn’t cause a fatality or death, the injured parties may bring their own drunk driving accident claim against the negligent or reckless drunk parties who caused the accident.
People who are injured as a result of the negligent parties who are drunk are entitled to recover monetary compensation for their injuries. The type of lawsuit that our attorneys would most likely bring against the driver would be a personal injury claim for negligence. A negligence action would most likely be brought the driver of the car owed the passengers and other car, truck, motorcycle drivers, including pedestrians on the road a duty to operate their car in a safe manner in accordance with the Florida law. The law holds intoxicated persons to the same standard as sober drivers while driving motor vehicles, so a drunk person is held responsible for any injuries they cause.
People who decide to drink and drive put their lives and all others at risk because their reaction time has been increased which results in a greater likelihood of causing an accident with innocent victims. There is nearly one accident caused by a drunk driver every day in Florida which may cause life-long injuries or even a wrongful death. The most common types of injuries caused by drunk drivers requiring our attorneys include brain injuries, neck and back injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and disfigurement. The innocent victims who were harmed during this drunk driving accident are entitled to recover their past medical expenses, future medical costs, lost wages or lost income, pain and suffering and potentially punitive damages to encourage other people who have been drinking from driving their car.