Posted by duijim in on November 2, 2018
A man from Rossville, Georgia was recently placed in the Catoosa County jail after he crashed into a mobile home while operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. The accident occurred when the driver lost control of his vehicle and veered off the road. Following an arrest, the driver was cited with driving under the influence as well as failure to maintain a lane. Fortunately, no one was injured as a result of the accident.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 29 people in the United States die in motor vehicle accidents involving alcohol-impaired drivers each year. This equates to one death every 50 minutes, with an annual cost of alcohol-related accidents adding up to $44 billion. While there are numerous ways in which drunk driving accidents occur, and the following will review some of the most common.
Common Types of DUI Crashes
Even small amounts of alcohol have the potential to impair a driver’s judgment, which can lead to several types of serious accidents. Some of the most common types of accidents that occur involving drunk drivers include the following:
- Head-on collisions. These accidents occur when drivers fall asleep at the wheel and end up entering the lane of opposing traffic. In many cases, these accidents occur because alcohol impairs a driver’s judgment and vision, which makes it difficult to notice that they are entering an oncoming lane.
- Pedestrians. Drunk drivers sometimes do not notice pedestrians, which can lead to accidents that frequently result in serious injuries or death.
- Rear-end Collisions. Because an intoxicated motorist’s judgment and reaction time are slowed, he or she is often uneable to react when a motor vehicle in front of them slows down abruptly. In other situations, intoxicated motorists might think they have enough time to slow down when they actually do not.
- Wrong way collisions. Because intoxicated drivers often experienced delayed response times, they sometimes do not understand traffic signs, and as a result end up entering one-way streets going the wrong direction.
Common Injuries Resulting From Drunk Driving Accidents
While any type of injury can occur during a drunk driving accident, some of the most common injuries that result from drunk driving include the following:
- Brain. The brain is particularly vulnerable when drunk driving accidents occur. Traumatic brain injuries come in two forms – closed head trauma and open head trauma. In closed head trauma, the brain experiences an impact with the inside of the skull. In open head trauma, the skull is pierced and the brain damaged in some way.
- Chest. A person’s chest is particularly vulnerable to being seriously injured when drunk driving accidents occur. While wearing a seatbelt helps to reduce the risk of injuries, broken ribs are still common due to the force of impact.
- Legs. It is common for the victims of drunk driving accidents to end up experiencing broken legs as well as shattered knees. These injuries are frequently life-changing and the recovery process can be long and arduous.
- Neck. Whiplash is the most common type of neck injuries. These injuries are common in the high-speed drunk driving accidents, and can be quite serious if not treated quickly.
Speak with an Experienced DUI Attorney
If you are convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, you can face serious penalties. As a result, in these situations, you should not hesitate to speak with an experienced DUI attorney. At Yeargan & Kert LLC, we remain committed to making sure that drunk driving cases resolve in the best possible manner. Contact our law office today to schedule an initial free case evaluation.