Study Finds Alcohol A Factor In Majority Of Fatal Wrong-Way Accidents

As the name suggests, wrong-way driving accidents are accidents in which one driver is driving the wrong way on a highway or road and collides with another vehicle who is traveling in the correct direction. As you can imagine, there is little you can do once you see a car barreling toward you at a high speed, particularly if your ability to avoid it is impeded by other cars or barriers. These crashes are also particularly fatal because they double the amount of force that both vehicles experience, as compared to other kinds of vehicle collisions. This tends to prove particularly fatal to drivers and front-seat passengers. The most frustrating thing about these accidents, in addition to the fact that they are rapidly increasing, is that, according to experts, almost all of them should have been avoidable.

DUI, Alcohol Consumption, and Wrong-Way Accidents

The majority of wrong-way accidents happen late at night, and a recent study suggests that’s not a coincidence, but rather because alcohol is involved in the majority of wrong-way driving accidents. According to the statistics, over 60% of all wrong-way drivers who ended up in fatal collisions were intoxicated over the legal limit. Shockingly, an additional 36% had some amount of alcohol in their system but were not over the legal limit. Experts believe that alcohol is the primary factor responsible for driving such a sharp and continuous increase in wrong-way accidents during the pandemic; a trend which continues today and is evolving into a crisis. What the statistics suggest, is that although there are other causes of wrong-way accidents, such as dementia, and confusing or hard-to-see traffic signals and street signs, the odds are good that if you were in a wrong-way accident and were not drunk, the other driver was.

Suing for Wrong-Way Drunk Driving Accidents

Wrong-way accidents are among the most catastrophic, and can result in huge amounts of physical, emotional, and financial harm. Often, the best (and only) way for people to recover is to bring a personal injury lawsuit. In a personal injury lawsuit, in order to succeed, you must show that the other driver was negligent and that their negligence caused your harm. If the other driver was intoxicated, under the influence, or speeding at the time of the accident, this establishes that they were driving negligently, and ensures that they can be held liable for any damage that resulted. Bringing a personal injury lawsuit allows you to recover for all past and future medical costs related to the injury, as well as compensation for lost wages, pain, and suffering.

Schedule a Consultation with Hawkins Spizman Trial Attorneys

Hawkins Spizman Trial Lawyers is ready to fight to get you the maximum amount of compensation that you are entitled to for your car crash or accident claim in Atlanta, Dunwoody, Alpharetta, Cobb County, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Johns Creek, Sandy Springs, or anywhere in Georgia.  Contact the Johns Creek personal injury attorneys at Hawkins Spizman Trial Lawyers today to schedule your free consultation and find out how we can help you.

Resource:

post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2021/03/28/traffic-deaths-wrong-way-driving-sharp-increase-AAA-Foundation-Safety/stories/202103280068