The Situation- Drunk Driver Car Accidents

Even if you are a responsible driver that understands drinking and driving do not mix, you have no power to control the actions of the other drivers around you. Drunk driving car accidents are far too common. The Fathers Against Drunk Driving website estimates that “every year, 708,000 persons are injured in alcohol-related crashes; 74,000 of those people suffer serious injuries.”  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 30 people die each day in crashes involving drinking and driving. Salt Lake City and Kearns are no exceptions. These accidents not only cause injuries and the possibility of death, but they are also costing Americans billions of dollars each year. In 2010 alone, alcohol-related accidents cost $44 billion dollars! And these statistics do not even include the data for accidents caused by people driving under the influence of marijuana.

The Drunk Driving Car Accident in Kearns

I recently represented a client that was involved in a drunk driving car accident in Kearns, Utah. He was stopped at a red light when another driver failed to stop and slammed into my client’s car from behind. This was not simply an unfortunate “accident”. This car accident was caused by another driver choosing to get behind the wheel of their car and drive even though they were intoxicated and in possession of marijuana.

The Result- Damaged and Injured

The drunk driver’s choice to drive drunk took away my client’s choices. My client had no plans to buy a new car that day as he drove in Kearns, but because his car was totaled in the accident, he had no choice but to find a replacement car.

The damage to a replaceable car, however, was nothing in comparison to the injuries my client sustained as a result of the accident. He suffered from neck, back, and shoulder pain, for which he sought treatment with a chiropractor, but as his treatment progressed, his pain persisted. Even months after the accident he was still experiencing headaches, tightness in his neck and sharp pains in his lower back; the worst pain was in his shoulder. The injuries were not improving and were interfering with his work, quality of life, and sleep.

Through extensive, and expensive, testing it was determined that my client had sustained significantly more damage to his shoulder than was originally believed. The only way to relieve his pain was through a surgical procedure called “Subacromial Decompression” (which treats a pinched tendon in the rotator cuff) and “Extensive Debridement” (which means the surgeon is removing tendon pieces or other loose fragments from around the shoulder joint). My client faced a recovery time from this surgery of 6 weeks or more.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

This accident did not happen because of any choice or fault of my client. He was simply driving on the street in Kearns, Utah. However, my client made the right choice of turning to a competent lawyer. The monetary compensation I secured for my client did not restore health, of course, but it did help cover the medical bills and lost wages that were piling up while my client was getting treatments and surgery.

In addition, I was able to pursue an “underinsured motorist” claim because the drunk driver did not carry enough liability insurance. My client was also awarded reparations for non-economic damages, which means on top of covering medical bills and lost wages, my client was compensated for the discomfort and suffering that he had to endure.

The impact of an impaired driving auto accident can be overwhelming. Your life may be forever changed. But there is some hope in the knowledge that turning to the right professionals–be it a doctor, surgeon and/or lawyer–can help restore you and get you the compensation that you deserve.

If you are subject to someone who chooses to drink and drive this season, don’t wait. Call the experts at Symco Injury Law for help.