Losing a loved one is never easy. However, losing a loved one to another person’s negligence behind the wheel can be a devastating experience, especially when impairment due to drugs or alcohol is a factor. Here at Callahan & Blaine, our Newport Beach wrongful death attorneys have seen the damage caused to California families by the carelessness of an inebriated driver. Effects can range from emotional to financial, especially when the deceased loved one was your family’s primary breadwinner.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that impaired driving is a widespread problem that involves many different factors. Approximately 16 percent of car accidents are attributed to drivers who have consumed alcohol or other types of drugs. This is reflected in statistics compiled in the last two years, which show that arrests related to intoxication behind the wheel included more than 1.1 million motorists.
Young people face a significant risk when it comes to impaired driving, even when they are not behind the wheel. For instance, in 2014, more than half of children who died were actually traveling with drivers who were impaired by alcohol at the time. Intoxicated motorists were responsible for 19 percent of the traffic deaths involving children 14 and under. Overall, alcohol was a factor in the deaths of almost 10,000 that same year.
Certain groups are more likely to engage in inebriated driving than others. Alcohol is a feature in a high percentage of motorcyclists’ deaths, as well as young adults aged 21 to 24. Motorists with prior DUI convictions also exhibited heightened rates of fatal accidents, especially those with blood alcohol content greater than 0.08 percent. Please visit our website for more information if your loved one has died due to the actions of an inebriated driver.
