Driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol is dangerous because you lose your motor skills and your ability to use common sense, two essential factors needed to drive. Driving under the influence can have consequences for those on and off the road, as one North Carolina man discovered.
A Charlotte man accused of drunk driving slammed his car into a local home after losing control of his vehicle and hitting a power pole at approximately 2:30 a.m. on January 9, according to WCNC Charlotte. Luckily, no one inside the home was injured and the driver is expected to be OK. But the consequences of the intoxicated man choosing to drive are not over. Police are planning to charge the reckless driver with a DUI. So before you decide to get behind the wheel after a few drinks, think again.
Fortunately, no one in the home was hurt and that the driver suffered only minor injuries. Residents of the damaged home are most likely upset that the force of the impact caused them to lose power. Braving the roads in the wee hours of the night is one thing, but home provides us with a sense of safety that one intoxicated man violated.
For law-abiding sober drivers, staying off the road between midnight and 4 a.m. will decrease your chances of injury or death due to a drunk driving accident. Statistically, Saturday night is the most dangerous day of the week for sober drivers to get behind the wheel. Unfortunately, incidents of drunk drivers hitting houses and other buildings are not uncommon. Last month in Buffalo, N.Y., a snow plow driver was charged with a DWI, criminal mischief, and fleeing the scene of a crime after he hit both a building and a taxi cab.
Each day, thousands of DUI-related accidents occur across the country and many of these accidents result in serious injury or death. In 2012 there were 402 drunk driving fatalities in North Carolina alone, a 12 percent increase from 2011. So, what are your options if you or someone you love was injured or killed due to an intoxicated driver? Can you receive compensation? In the case of the Charlotte man slamming his car into a local home, if someone inside the home had been injured, a civil suit could be filed against the drunk driver.
Every case is unique, but if you were injured due to a drunk driver or if you are a family member of a victim who died because of a drunk driver, you may be entitled to compensation for your injury or loss. Do not hesitate to contact a charlotte auto accident attorney to discuss your legal options. Auger & Auger has been protecting victims of drunk driving accidents for the past 20 years. Contact us today for your free consultation.