Drunk driving or otherwise driving under the influence is a considerable problem all across the United States. Operating under the influence can lead to tragedies, from serious injury to even death. It also has the potential to cause considerable damage to the motor vehicles involved in the accidents. With the damage caused in many of these accidents, a criminal attorney is often hired in the case of a personal injury suit. A criminal attorney is well versed in the causes of car accidents. Many a criminal attorney is particularly skilled in handling cases related to accidents caused by a driver under the influence. A DUI lawyer should always be contacted in the aftermath of a drunk driving incident.
Unfortunately, drunk driving is prolific throughout the United States. Every single day, nearly one thousand people are injured in an event related to drunk driving or otherwise driving under the influence. This breaks down to someone becoming injured or suffering a fatality every two minutes in the United States – solely in cases where at least one person was driving under the influence.
Drunk driving, though its biggest cost is of course that of human life, is also financially very draining. In one year, drunk driving and otherwise driving under the influence costs the United States more that one hundred and thirty billion dollars. When you factor in tobacco and illegal drugs other than alcohol, that price rises to more than seven hundred billion dollars in just one year.
Drunk driving is defined by driving with a blood alcohol level of more than 0.08 percent, which is considered grounds for arrest throughout the country – though some places have more strict laws regarding drinking and driving. Massachusetts, for example, is likely to charge anyone that is pulled over with an overall blood alcohol level at or great than 0.02 percent if they are under the age of twenty one, which is the legal drinking age. The legal limit for operating a commercial vehicle is considerably lower than what it is for operating a personal vehicle as well, though this law is typical of many states in the United States. The legal limit for operating a commercial vehicle is only 0.04 percent, a considerably lower threshold than the legal limit for operating your own private and personal vehicle.
Drunk driving is not the only issues related to driving under the influence in which a party involved in an accident may hire a criminal attorney. A criminal attorney may also be useful for driving under the influence of marijuana as well as alcohol. In fact, thirteen percent of people that are pulled over during what is considered the night are found to have marijuana in their system, as well as, sometimes, other illegal substances.
Unfortunately, the need for criminal lawyers is common, as the majority of drunk drivers who hire a criminal lawyer are repeat offenders. A drinking under the influence lawyer is more likely than not to see a client who has been charged with a DUI previously, as an estimated one third of those charged with a DUI have been arrested before on similar chargers and are repeat offenders. Some may even have been arrested more than once previously on a DUI charge or a similar charge. In fact, statistics show that before the initial arrest, the average drunk driver is estimated to have driven drunk or otherwise under the influence at least eighty times.
Drunk driving and driving under the influence of other drugs, legal or otherwise, is a considerable problem all throughout the United States. Drunk driving leads to considerable damages to both motor vehicles as well as human life, and it should always be taken seriously. Hiring a criminal attorney is often the first step in a personal injury suit or a legal case.
