There are serious consequences for driving while impaired which includes driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol. The consequences for a drunk driving accident can extend well beyond criminal consequences to include civil liability to victims injured or otherwise harmed by the careless actions of a drunk driver. Victims of drunk driving accidents have legal remedies to help them recover compensation for the harm they have suffered in a drunk driving accident.
Impaired driving, which includes driving while drunk or high on drugs, leads to decreased reaction time; decreased hand-eye coordination; reduced concentration; difficulty with perception, including perceiving time and distance; and limited short-term memory. All of the signs of impaired driving present a risk on the roadways and describe many of the dangers of a drunk or otherwise impaired driver.
Drunk drivers can injure or kill victims, face criminal penalties and civil legal liability and consequences when responsible to compensate victims they have harmed in a drunk driving accident. Victims of drunk driving accidents can face challenges including the need to pay for medical costs; what to do about lost wages while they are unable to work following a drunk driving accident; and the emotional scars of an unexpected drunk driving accident.
As a result, the legal process protects victims of drunk drivers or drivers impaired by the use of drugs. Important personal injury legal options and resources, which victims and their families should be aware of, can help victims of drunk driving accidents recover compensation for their physical, financial and emotional damages suffered because of a negligent drunk driver.
Source: Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “Impaired Driving,” Accessed March 19, 2018
