Drunk Driving Accident Attorney In Vancouver, WA
Washington State Drunk Driving Accident Statistics
In 2015, almost half of the vehicle fatalities in the state of Washington were due to drivers driving under the influence of alcohol and/ or drugs. While there were 46,348 accidents caused by distracted or inattentive drivers, they only caused 160 fatalities, although they were the second leading cause of fatalities after driving under the influence. In comparison, however, there were only 6,033 drunk driving accidents, but they accounted for 237 or nearly half of the 499 traffic fatalities that year. So while distracted or inattentive driving is by far the much more common problem, accounting for nearly 40% of all accidents that year and 32% of fatalities, a drunk driving accident is clearly the more deadly, accounting for only 5% of all accidents, yet still resulting in 47% of all deaths.
Who’s To Blame In A Drunk Driving Accident?
In most traffic accidents, there is a fairly clear at-fault party. For instance, when one driver rear-ends another driver, the driver in the back is almost always at fault. The majority of head-on collisions are also generally the result of one driver leaving their designated lane and veering into oncoming traffic. While there can be many reasons for this to occur, in most cases, it is the driver that left their designated lane that is generally found to be at fault. All the rules change in a drunk driving accident, however. Even if another driver might ordinarily be at fault in an accident, if one driver is discovered to be under the influence of alcohol or other substances, they will almost always be determined to be the at-fault party. Regardless of whether you were in an accident with an impaired driver or if you were the impaired driver, it is always advisable to call an attorney as quickly as possible. When an accident occurs as the result of an impaired driver, it is critically important to get it well documented right away because every minute, the body is metabolizing whatever substances the driver is under the influence of. A blood alcohol level can drop significantly in as little as 30-45 minutes.
What To Do If You’re Involved In A Drunk Driving Accident
If you are the impaired driver, then it is critically important to get someone involved as quickly as possible who is clear-headed and can keep you from making any mistakes that could only serve to worsen the situation. A drunk driving accident in Vancouver is perhaps the worst possible kind of accident because, Under Washington State law, driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or a combination of substances is a criminal offense rather than simply a traffic violation. Regardless of the outcome of the accident, whether anyone was injured or not, the impaired driver will most likely be facing criminal charges. Even if an ordinary accident results in a death, it is often deemed exactly that – an accident. In the case of a drunk driving accident, however, any injuries, let alone a fatality, can automatically escalate any criminal charges even if the circumstance would otherwise cause it to be considered simply an accident.
If you’ve been injured in a drunk driving accident within Washington our experienced Vancouver, WA accident attorneys are here to help. We have helped individuals who have been injured on Interstate 5, highway 14, surface streets and even parking lots within Clark County, Cowlitz County, Skamania County, Pacific County, and other areas of Washington and Oregon.
If you need the help of an experienced accident injury attorney, please contact our firm today for a FREE case review.
