Ogden Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys

What to Do If You Were Injured by a Drunk Driver

Drunk driving is never acceptable. Not only is it incredibly dangerous, putting the driver’s life and the lives of everyone else on the road at risk, but it is also against the law. In fact, Utah is known for having the strictest drunk driving laws in the nation.

Despite this, many people still make the choice to get behind the wheel of a car after consuming alcohol—often with devastating results. Apart from any criminal proceedings that make take place, victims of drunk driving accidents are entitled to take civil actions against the drunk driver and seek compensation for their damages, which may include things like medical bills, lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering.

If you were injured by a drunk driver, or if your loved one died after being hit by someone who was driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, we encourage you to reach out to one of our experienced drunk driving lawyers in Ogden to learn more about your legal rights and options. Pursuing a personal injury or wrongful death claim after a drunk driving accident is not a simple matter; having a knowledgeable attorney on your side can make all the difference in your case.

How Alcohol Impacts Driving

Cognitive Function

Alcohol impairs cognitive function, which is critical for safe driving. One of the primary effects is on judgment; alcohol consumption can lead to poor decision-making, resulting in risky behaviors like speeding or aggressive driving. Additionally, alcohol diminishes your ability to concentrate on the road, traffic signals, and other vehicles, making multitasking more challenging. Memory is also affected, with short-term memory impairment making it difficult to remember and follow traffic rules or directions.

Motor Skills

Motor skills are essential for operating a vehicle, and alcohol has a significant negative impact on these. Coordination, which is crucial for controlling the vehicle, steering, and braking effectively, is impaired by alcohol. Furthermore, alcohol slows down reaction times, making it harder to respond quickly to sudden changes, such as an obstacle on the road or a sudden stop by the car in front of you.

Visual Function

Alcohol consumption adversely affects visual functions necessary for safe driving. It can distort depth perception, making it challenging to judge distances accurately, which can result in misjudging the distance between your car and other vehicles or objects. Peripheral vision also narrows under the influence of alcohol, commonly referred to as tunnel vision, making it harder to see and respond to hazards that aren't directly in front of you. Moreover, alcohol can impair night vision, making it difficult to see in low-light conditions.

Emotional State

Alcohol can significantly alter your emotional state, affecting your driving behavior. It often increases feelings of overconfidence, leading drivers to take unnecessary risks. In some individuals, alcohol can also increase aggression, resulting in dangerous driving behaviors. These changes in emotional state contribute to the overall danger of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Drunk Driving Laws in Utah

As previously mentioned, as of 2018, Utah has the strictest drunk driving laws in the United States. In December of 2018, the state passed a new law lowering the legal limit from 0.08% to 0.05%. What does this mean? This means that if you have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05% or higher, you are considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol and can be cited and/or arrested by law enforcement. Depending on a person’s age, weight, and gender, this could mean that as little as one alcoholic drink could be enough to put someone above the legal limit.

For those in support of the law—and against drunk driving—this is a good thing. In fact, studies have shown that any amount of alcohol in a person’s system could significantly impair their concentration, reaction time, and movements, all things that are critical to the act of driving.

Dram Shop & Social Host Liability Laws in Utah

Dram shop laws pertain to businesses, such as bars, restaurants, and liquor stores, that sell or serve alcohol. In Utah, these laws can hold alcohol-serving establishments liable if they serve alcohol to a person who is visibly intoxicated or under the age of 21, and that person then causes injury or damage to another person.

Seeking Compensation for Severely Injured Victims

Sadly, many drunk driving accidents are fatal. Even when victims live, they are likely to sustain serious, life-altering injuries. This is because drunk drivers have significantly impaired reaction times, meaning they are less likely to stop in time or even slow down to avoid a collision. At high rates of speed, collisions are much more likely to be deadly or result in severe, catastrophic injuries.

Common injuries in drunk driving accidents include:

• Fractures/broken bones
• Spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Head and neck trauma
• Shoulder and back injuries
• Accidental amputation
• Internal organ and soft tissue damage
• Hemorrhaging

Social host liability laws apply to private individuals who provide alcohol in non-commercial settings, such as parties or gatherings. Social hosts can be held liable if they knowingly serve alcohol to minors (under the age of 21), and the minors subsequently cause harm to themselves or others.

At Lowe Law Group, we understand that treatment for these injuries can lead to exorbitant medical bills. You may even require ongoing or lifelong care and could be prevented from returning to work for weeks, months, or years. And, of course, the physical and emotional impact of a drunk driving accident is enormous, often leading to a range of resulting issues, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Our goal is to recover compensation for all of your current and future damages. While no amount of financial compensation can ever truly make up for what you have been through, it can allow you to obtain critical medical treatment and the ability to heal.

Request a Free Consultation Today

We know that the aftermath of a drunk driving accident can leave you feeling overwhelmed, upset, and unsure of where to turn. Our Ogden drunk driving accident lawyers are here for you. We are available to answer your call 24/7 and provide you with the compassionate, caring, and personalized attention you deserve. There is no cost and no risk when you work with our team; we only collect attorneys’ fees if and when we recover compensation for you. Throughout our years in practice, we have secured millions of dollars for our clients, and we are proud to celebrate these victories as they show the ways that we have been able to help real people in our community.