DWI and Personal Injury in New York
Anyone who gets behind the wheel of a car with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher will be charged with a DWI if they are pulled over by a law enforcement officer. This is the “legal limit” for drivers throughout the nation, and the limit is even lower for drivers under the age of 21 and drivers who have a Commercial Driver’s License as well. There were 11.773 drunk driving deaths in 2008 throughout our nation, and these deaths accounted for 32% of the total amount of car accident deaths in the country that year.
Drivers who get behind the wheel when intoxicated are putting themselves and others at risk for serious injury and the possibility of death. Alcohol decreases a driver’s coordination, reaction time, thinking, and control. These cases are taken very seriously by law enforcement officers in NYC and by the New York City personal injury lawyers at our firm. We have seen the devastation that results from a drunk driving accident, and we are here to provide caring help, legal protection and the resources needed to seek justice and compensation.
New York City Drunk Driving Accident Cases & Statistics
Recent statistics reveal a shocking reality: someone in the U.S. dies in a traffic accident approximately every 48 minutes in an accident involving an alcohol-impaired driver. Many of New York City’s eight million residents do not own a car, but they can still be affected by drunk driving accidents when their family is injured or when their cab is involved in an accident. According to statistics released by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, there were 1,015 drunk driving accidents during 2009 throughout New York City. Out of these crashes, there were 777 personal injuries, 27 fatalities and 216 property damage suffered.
Drunk driving accidents are entirely avoidable, and drivers who fail to be responsible and follow the law must be held accountable for their actions. After a DWI accident occurs, the drunk driver will probably be arrested for DWI or felony DWI. Drunk drivers will be held liable under criminal law for their actions, but this does not benefit the victims of the drunk driving accident. Thankfully, most drunk drivers can also be held liable under civil law, but you must take additional actions against the driver in order to recover compensation.
Contact an Attorney for Your Car Accident Case
Here at Greenberg & Stein, P.C., we are committed to each one of our clients on a personal level. We genuinely care about the outcome of their case and their future wellbeing, and we do everything in our power to secure the most compensation available under the law. Drunk driving accidents can be confusing and difficult to pursue in civil court, but we have the resources and education to take your case to court. In some situations, the drunk driver’s insurance provider will refuse to comply with the settlement amount that you need. We will never settle for less than the best for our clients, and will fight tirelessly to help you win your case.
With more than 50 years of collective experience in helping accident victims throughout New York City, we are highly knowledgeable in this area of law and how it pertains to your case. Contact an NYC personal injury attorney today to schedule a consultation with a legal professional who truly cares. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to serve you and answer any questions you may have.