Drug-Impaired Driving
We may follow all the rules of the road, but, nonetheless, we may be seriously injured by an alcohol- or drug-impaired driver. If you have been injured by a driver who was high on an illegal or prescription drug, The Mann Law Firm stands ready to help you obtain fair compensation for your injuries. We cannot make the accident disappear, but we can assist with fair compensation for your lost earnings, medical costs and pain and suffering.
The Dangers of Drugged Driving
Most of us have read about the terrible opioid epidemic in the country today that is leading to thousands of deaths. This abuse of drugs is leading to more car accidents across the country. Also, Georgia recently passed a medical marijuana law, which could lead to higher incidence of impaired driving, according to some experts.
Further, a 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that nearly 12 million Americans drove high on drugs last year. Worse, a study by the Governors Highway Safety Association determined that 43% of drivers in the U.S. who were involved in fatal crashes had used some type of drug before driving. While drunk driving accidents get the most attention, drugged driving is every bit as deadly. Marijuana use, for example, can slow your reaction times and damage your judgment of time and distance; it also degrades coordination that is so essential to safe driving. Drivers who are on cocaine or methamphetamines tend to drive more recklessly and aggressively. Opioid use before driving can cause dizziness and drowsiness. Using any of these drugs before driving can cause serious car accidents.
Driving Drugged and Personal Injury Liability
In a drugged driver accident, the key to winning compensation for injuries is proving the driver was under the influence of drugs to a point where their judgment and driving ability were impaired. One challenge in a drugged driver case is that being impaired by these substances is harder for juries to understand than alcohol impairment. If you were injured by a drugged driver and the case goes to trial, expert testimony will probably be needed to convince the jury that the defendant was sufficiently impaired by drugs when the accident happened. Some drug-impaired driver cases involve illegal drugs, but others involve prescription drugs. In one of these cases, the following points must be proven when a prescription drug is involved:
- The driver was driving erratically when the wreck occurred.
- Expert testimony is usually needed about the side effects of the drug involved and how it affects the brain and coordination.
- Was the defendant following the orders of his doctor regarding the amount of drugs taken and when?
- Getting information about the prescription and what the doctor told the defendant can be challenging due to privacy laws.
- The label on the prescription bottle warned of side effects that affect driving.
Because the effects of drugs on driving are less understood by the public than those of alcohol, an experienced DUI attorney is needed to win this type of case.
Damages Available in a Drugged Driver Case
You can obtain financial compensation for a drugged driver case, just as when the driver is impaired by alcohol. In either situation, you may be overwhelmed with medical bills, lost work time, rehabilitation and mental and physical suffering. In a drugged driver case you may obtain compensation for:
- Costs of being in the hospital
- Cost of medical procedures and surgery
- Costs of rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Payment for cosmetic surgeries if the accident caused disfigurement and scarring
- Prescription drugs
- Medical equipment expenses
An attorney, especially a truck accident lawyer, can assist you to recover lost income if you are hurt by a driver impaired by drugs. If you have serious trauma, such as major back injuries or broken bones, you might need months of physical therapy before you can even walk. This could mean months without a paycheck. Some victims of these car accidents are so seriously injured they cannot work. If that happens, your attorney can help you to recover earnings that you would have had if the injury had not happened.
Contact An Experienced DUI Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one has been injured by a driver who was impaired by illegal or prescription drugs, you need to be represented by an experienced lawyer. The Mann Law Firm has years of proven experience assisting our clients with personal injury lawsuits against drunk and drug-impaired drivers. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation.
Attorney David Mann
Before leading his own firm, Mann served for several years as in-house defense counsel for a large insurance company, which gives him unique insight into how insurance companies work. He uses this critical knowledge as an advantage for his clients. He is a tough negotiator and litigator, and he is exceptionally strategic in building cases on behalf of personal injury victims.[ Attorney Bio ]
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