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Millions of American drivers are at high risk of being hit by a drunk driver, considering how common driving under the influence is in the country. Alcohol impaired driving fatalities accounted for 29% of the total vehicle traffic fatalities in 2015. Just in Texas the total number of fatalities caused by drunk drivers was 1323. The total number of arrests made in Texas in 2015 of people driving while intoxicated (DWI) was 64,971. You must be thinking that’s a really small number of fatalities as compared to the number of people arrested. That is exactly the scary and dangerous part. Moreover, those arrests represent only those who were arrested, not the total number of drunken drivers driving on the roads of Texas; now imagine how many of those there would be. And then imagine how many potential fatalities those drunk drivers can cause.
The Risk is Just as High Even if You Are Not Driving
Driving under the influence of alcohol can be dangerous for the driver, the passengers in the car and pedestrians. Passengers and pedestrians are the most common targets in DWI cases. In Arlington, a 25-year-old woman, driving under the influence (confirmed later), killed a 5-year-old girl and injured 5 other passengers who were travelling in her car. Valencia Freeman was speeding when she suddenly lost control of her car and it slammed into a telephone pole. Incidents like these can turn a normal citizen into a criminal charged with manslaughter. Moreover, young teens can spend most of their life in prison due to one night of irresponsible behavior. Jaime Arellano, a 16 year old, ran a red light while driving under the influence and crashed into a Ford Mustang, killing a pregnant woman, her unborn child and injuring her 6-year-old daughter. Arellano was charged with intoxication manslaughter and assault and she was given 20 years in prison.
With thousands of drunk drivers are on the roads in Texas, it is highly likely that citizens are at high risk of encountering one while driving or just walking to your nearest grocery store. The police highly recommends reporting drunk drivers if you see one so that they can be taken off the roads and charged with a criminal offense. In the event an alleged drunk driving accident results in injury to a person, the suspected drunk driver can be held liable for the consequences of their actions, regardless of whether criminal charges have been filed.
If a drunk driver has hit you while you were driving or walking, you should immediately contact the police and make arrangements for legal representation. Victims of DWI accidents and their families have a legal right to pursue claims in a court to recover monetary damages. If the victim is not physically able to go to a lawyer, his/her family should reach out to an experienced DWI accident attorney to document what happened and to claim compensation. At Rad Law Firm, we have approximately twenty years of experience litigating cases of victims affected by drunk drivers. Our attorneys believe in providing not only legal but also moral support. We make sure that our clients and our team work together to get justice. Rad Law Firm offers one free consultation initially, so contact us today if you are a DWI accident victim.
