Florissant, Missouri, a town just outside of St. Louis, has been a popular place to settle for centuries. In fact, the French settlers named it “Fleurissant” or “Blooming” because settlers in the 1700s made this suburb community their home. The homey atmosphere in Florissant inspired Money Magazine to name the city one of the top 100 places to live in 2012. When families and young couples wonder where they should go after growing out of their small city condo and settle down, Florissant is on top of their list.
Yet parents turn off their lights at night and stare at their ceiling, wondering when their children will be home. Babysitters question if something went wrong with date night if parents are late. Teenagers wonder if they should have been more confrontational at their party, making their intoxicated, partying friend give them their keys stopping them from driving home that night. After all, the rate of drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes last year was nearly four times higher at night than during the day.
Drunk driving is just one of many worries that residents of Florissant, St. Louis, and Missouri are concerned about. According to the Center of Disease Control, almost thirty Americans a day die in a motor vehicle accident that involves a drunk driver. It is a serious problem and has left many Missourians without a loved one. Families are left to suffer as they watch their loved one try to recover from a serious drunk driving accident. It can be unbearable to watch a loved one’s quality-of-life diminish because of an accident that could have been easily prevented.
Finney Law Office, LLC has seen the vast emotions that accompany drunk driving accident injuries. The moments after an accident can be detrimental to a loved one and family − all hope may be lost. We want to let you know that we are here to help you. We want to help you push through your last brink of hope after an accident and prove that there is more than one type of recovery. We can help you financially and emotionally recover by securing you with the compensation that you deserve.
Drunk Driving Injuries
Drunk driving is a serious problem in the United States. In 2010, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, according to the CDC. Even with the serious consequences that the negligent and drunk drivers face, many Americans continue to drive with a blood alcohol level over 0.08 percent. When there is that much alcohol in the blood system, inhibitions run low, thought processes aren’t clear, and coordination is lacking. Hence, some of the most serious car accidents involve a drunk driver that shouldn’t be on the road in the first place.
There were 10,076 fatalities in the US in 2013 due to drunk driving accidents. That accounts for one third of the total motor vehicle fatalities of the year. Over 290,000, people were injured in drunk driving accidents.
To understand some of the injuries that people acquire from an accident, you must look at the way drunk driving accidents occur.
Drunk drivers can be disoriented and less likely to perceive the correct distance between cars, so you are more likely to get sideswiped or rear-ended if you both are going in the same direction. It can be difficult for them to stay in the same lane when they are seeing double.
In addition, drunk drivers are more likely to ignore street signs or directions. Important signals like a red light or “one-way” sign may be overlooked and cause serious head-on or side collisions.
Drunk driving accident injuries may include:
- Whiplash or head injuries: Whiplash, concussions and traumatic brain injuries are common in drunk driving accidents. All of these injuries can leave the victim in serious pain and confusion with a long recovery time ahead of them.
- Neck and spinal injuries: The probability of the drunk driver braking before impact is low. When such an impact hits your car—no matter which way it strikes—neck and spinal injuries are possible. Herniated discs, broken necks, paralysis and quadriplegic paralysis are possible.
- Airbag and seatbelt injuries: These safety restrictions can cause serious damage to your chest, arms, and legs. Broken bones can include collarbones, ribs, and pelvises. Burns can also come from the friction created by the contact of the seatbelt and/or air bags with the body, which can leave you bruised and scarred.
- Arm and leg injuries: arms and legs are most susceptible to bruises, lacerations, and broken bones.
Dealing with the Aftermath
After a drunk driving accident, you or your loved one may face serious injuries. It can be an emotional time for you and your family. Neighbors and co-workers may drop off food, flowers and wishes for a speedy recovery, but what you may really need is more money to pay for the bills that are piling up on your kitchen counter and a way to make the insurance company’s phone calls stop.
The experienced attorneys at Finney Law Office, LLC are able to eliminate some of the unnecessary stress by handling insurance companies, medical professionals, and more. We can give you time to heal while we work on securing you with the compensation that you deserve.
Compensation cannot quicken the healing process or cure long-term complications but it can pay for the continual medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost salary from work, and time for your pain and suffering. Compensation can be one way to hold the negligent driver responsible for the injuries, sleepless nights, and uncertain future in Florissant, Missouri that they have caused.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a drunk driving accident and has been injured, lean on one of the experienced motor vehicle accident attorneys today. They can be your advocate during this stressful time and ensure that your rights are not being abused.
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