New Year’s Eve and Day is the holiday with the most reported personal injury accidents. According to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) alcohol-related deaths from vehicle accidents is down 50% since 1980. That is incredible news. However, traffic statistics show that personal injuries as a result of negligent drivers still hit yearly highs on the last day of the year.
Four primary reasons make the roads unsafe every year. Here is a list of those reasons that make you need to call a lawyer because you are hurt in a car wreck, big truck wreck, or personal injury through no fault of your own:
Alcohol – Drinking and Driving causes crashes. Drinking and Driving kills. Drinking and Driving should be avoided at all costs. Even though you hear the facts and know that Drinking and Driving is not a good thing, people continue to drink too much and get behind the wheel. When a drunk driver is on the road, chances are they can cause injury and even death. Alcohol causes a person to have bad judgement, to believe they can do things they cannot, and slows reaction times. All of this makes for an increased chance that the person that drinks and drives can cause a car wreck. The person that drinks and drives can crash into homes. People that drink and drive won’t always be able to stop and time for the person walking across the street.
Drugs – Driving while under the influence of drugs, whether the drug is legal or illegal, can lead to car crashes and even death. Drugs alter your mind. Some drugs cause you to become so drowsy or sleepy, that you don’t even remember driving from home to work. Drugs can cause you to have no reaction to crashing into another car or running over a person. Impaired driving due to drug use causes just as many personal injury cases as alcohol-related driving crashes do. Using drugs and getting behind the wheel of a car or truck is not a good idea.
No sleep – Partying and working long hours and then trying to drive somewhere is another reason a car crash results in personal injury cases where the driver was negligent and should have known better than to get behind the wheel. Big truck wrecks that cause personal injury many times are related to the driver working longer hours than they should have been. If you haven’t had enough sleep, don’t get behind the wheel of a car or truck.
Weather – in the South, we don’t have to worry much about ice this time of year but rain and fog are usual threats to driving conditions. At New Year’s the chance of rain and fog usually exists and sometimes ice is added to the mix. Be aware of weather conditions before you get behind the wheel of your car or truck. Weather-related crashes increase on New Year’s Eve due to the fact that there are more drivers on the road on this night leaving parties.
If you are injured in a car crash or wreck with a big truck, call a local lawyer that understands the culture and laws that apply to the Lake Charles area. Personal Injury Attorney N. Craig Richardson is the lawyer to call for a free consultation. He and his team can look at what happened and get the biggest payout for you when injured through no fault of your own, call Craig today.