This year, over 10,000 people will die in an alcohol-related accident. When people choose to drink and drive, they are putting the lives of innocent people at risk. The sad truth is that, statistically, an individual who was arrested for drunk driving has already driven under the influence 80 times previously. While authorities work to deter DUI crime, it is not enough to protect people on the roads from serious injury, permanent disability, or death.

If you or a loved one were harmed by a drunk driver, you should make every effort to defend yourself and receive the justice you deserve. Have you lost a loved one in a car accident caused by a drunk driver?

The legal limit to drive after consuming alcohol is 0.08% BAC, or blood alcohol concentration. Blood alcohol concentration is the level of alcohol in the bloodstream. When a person's BAC approaches the legal limit, they experience impaired reasoning, poorer depth perception, slower reaction time, sluggish motor control, and more. Each of these abilities is crucial to driving safely. Although it may take two to three drinks to reach the legal limit, one drink is enough to affect a person's driving.

An example of a typical drunk driving accident case involved an off-duty state trooper in Pennsylvania. J.D., who had worked for the Pennsylvania state troopers for 9 years, drank 4 alcoholic beverages before getting behind the wheel. Police stated that he swerved into oncoming traffic and struck an SUV head-on. The 21-year-old driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving behind a grieving widow. The trooper was found to have a BAC of 0.147%—nearly twice the legal limit—and has been charged with vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter, and DUI.

Although most people know that driving drunk is unsafe, many do not realize the dangers of driving with drugs in their system. A recent research review found that driving after using marijuana doubles the odds of causing an accident. Even if the drug was used three hours previously, marijuana makes it difficult to judge distances, and users' reaction times are severely impaired. The same is true for other controlled substances like heroin and cocaine, but it is also true for over-the-counter medication and prescription drugs.

People who choose to drink and drive can be penalized by fines, community service, jail time, prison time, and a suspended license. However, the cost that the victim and the victim's family will have to pay is far higher. They will have to deal with the emotional pain and suffering sustained by a traumatic accident, as well as the real cost of recovery from the initial injury.

Medical treatment and doctor bills can prove to be overwhelming, especially when coupled with the fact that they have to take time off of work to recover. Sometimes, filing a personal injury lawsuit is the only way that victimized families are able to pay for the damage done. Not only should families receive monetary compensation, but they should receive closure knowing that the person responsible has been held accountable for what they have done.

If you were injured by a drunk or drugged driver, you are entitled to holding your wrongdoer accountable—and force them to pay for your damages. Call a personal injury lawyer today for help.