Police suspect that alcohol was involved in a recent fatal accident involving an automobile and a motorcycle that took place in Indianapolis last month. At around 3:30, a motorcyclist and his passenger were nearing the intersection of East 56th Street and North College Avenue when a Mitsubishi drove into the path of the motorcycle.
According to a report by Indystar.com, the motorcyclist did not have time to avoid the car and crashed directly into it. The female passenger flew from the bike. A Chrysler traveling North on College Avenue then hit the female passenger. Both the driver of the motorcycle and the passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. Police are now investigating whether one or both of the cars’ drivers were driving while under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.
Despite the Obvious Dangers, People Still Drive While Under the Influence
Over the past few years, there has been a concerted effort to bring the dangers of drinking and driving to the forefront of the public discussion. Organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving have tried tirelessly to increase awareness surrounding the issue and the attendant dangers involved with drinking and driving.
Driving while intoxicated on drugs or alcohol has been proven to have deleterious effects on a driver’s concentration, coordination, comprehension, judgment, and reaction time. However, people still drink and drive. For example, in 2011, in Indiana alone there were over 20,000 arrests for Driving Under the Influence (DUI). That same year, there were 208 fatalities due to drunk drivers. Nationwide, the statistics are no better. On average, someone dies as a result of drunk driving every 53 minutes; an injury occurs every 90 seconds.
While the dangers of driving under the influence are extremely high, they are entirely preventable. If you are drinking, don’t get behind the wheel of a car; it’s as simple as that.
Drunk Driving Is Reckless Driving
The law attempts to discourage intoxicated driving through strict criminal penalties and also through hefty civil judgments. This means that in addition to any criminal penalty a drunk driver may face (i.e., court costs, fines, jail time), the driver will also be responsible to his victim for the injuries or property damages caused.
The way the law handles these cases is through what is called the law of negligence. In its most basic form, the law of negligence allows for a victim to recover damages from the person who caused the injuries. In order to do this, a victim must show that the driver was negligent and that the driver’s negligence caused the victim’s injuries.
Proof that a driver was operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated is strong evidence that the driver was being negligent. Given the clear dangers of drunk driving, what could be more negligent?
Injured By a Drunk Driver?
If you or a loved one has been injured by a drunk driver, you may be entitled to monetary damages for the injuries you have suffered. Contact one of the experienced Indiana personal injury attorneys at Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse today at (888) 532-7766, or click here to contact an attorney online. There is no risk to call because we offer a free initial consultation for any case.
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