We are just days away from Thanksgiving and the beginning of the 2015 holiday season. From now through New Year’s Day, many people will be attending parties—and many of those people will be drinking. Some will get behind the wheel of a car and causes serious, even fatal, crashes.
What to Do If You’re the Victim
If you have been hurt, or a loved one has been killed, by a drunk driver this holiday season, then it is important to know what to do immediately after the crash. Specifically, it is important to:
- Tell the police officers that respond to the accident of your suspicion that the other driver is drunk. An officer may be able to administer a breathalyzer test or other sobriety test to determine the level of alcohol in the driver’s blood (BAC).
- Document why you think the driver is drunk. This evidence may be useful when you pursue a recovery.
- Get immediate medical attention for your injuries. This is most important to your physical recovery, but may also provide evidence that your injuries were caused by the crash.
- Contact a personal injury lawyer about the car accident. Even if the driver is arrested for drunk driving and eventually convicted, you will still need a personal injury lawyer. The criminal proceedings will not provide you with a fair and just recovery, but instead will punish the driver for his crime. A personal injury case, however, could help you get the recovery that you deserve for your past, current, and future damages.
Drunk driving accidents may be anticipated during the holiday season, but they are not inevitable.
Help Raise Awareness and Prevent Drunk Driving Crashes in Georgia
This holiday season, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is encouraging everyone to Tie One on For Safety®. Every year since 1986, MADD has run this public awareness campaign. This year, you are encouraged to display a red awareness ribbon on your Facebook page, on your vehicle, or on your clothes to encourage others to designate a sober driver before a party starts and to never get behind the wheel while intoxicated. If you would like to take part in this public awareness campaign, please visit MADD’s website for all of the resources that you need.
