Ringing in the New Year is always an exciting time to look forward to. It’s a time to spend with family and friends celebrating another year that has gone by and welcoming the new year. Most people enjoy having a drink or cocktail while celebrating. Though there is nothing wrong with a drink or two to celebrate the New Year, there are still people that drink irresponsibly. This can lead to devastating consequences.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are more alcohol related car crashes on New Year’s Eve than most other nights during the year. SafeAuto.com reported that there are 71% more crashes that involved drugs or alcohol on New Year’s Eve compared to an average night on the weekend. Also, the U.S. DOT reported that over the past 5 years, an average of 300 people died in drunk driving crashes the week between Christmas and New Year. Everyone wants to have fun over the holiday and we hope everyone does, but be careful not to become a statistic.
Drinking and Driving is a Major Cause of Car Accidents and Injuries
I’m sure everyone knows that alcohol impacts our abilities to safely drive a motor vehicle. This is due to alcohol’s capabilities of reducing our ability to perform normal movements and functions. It impacts our fine and gross motor skills, which in turn reduces our abilities to react properly and/or timely. Also, alcohol can interfere with our cognitive and decision-making abilities. This results in many drunk drivers failing to pay attention to the other cars on the road and being unable to stop in time. This routinely results in rear-end collisions. Alcohol also may cause riskier driving behaviors when behind the wheel, which is another major contributing factor to crashes.
For these reasons, if you plan on having a few drinks to celebrate the New Year, make sure you make arrangements for transportation ahead of time. Don’t contribute to the accident statistics or put yourself and others in harm’s way by getting behind the wheel after drinking. The consequences are grave.
What to do if You Are Injured in an Accident Caused by a Drunk Driver
Unfortunately, sometimes no matter how responsible we are, we cannot control the actions of others. While you may have arranged for a cab, Uber, Lyft or designated driver to take you home after a long night celebrating on New Year’s Eve, there is still a probability you may be injured in an accident caused by another driver.
If you are seriously injured in a car accident this holiday, remember, you have the right to seek financial compensation for your injuries and damages suffered in a car accident in Massachusetts. Serious injuries can result in very expensive medical bills and missed time at work. If a drunk or negligent driver caused the accident and your injuries, you shouldn’t suffer the financially burden of the medical bills and lost wages. You deserve to be compensated. In these situations, you have the right to file a personal injury claim against the negligent driver and his or her auto insurance company.
Auto insurance companies, however, often make it difficult to get compensation for injuries and damages. They routinely use insurance tactics to deny personal injury claims and create complicated legal issues that may prevent you from getting the money you deserve. That is why you should make sure you know what steps to take to put you in the best position to get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Consult an Experienced Massachusetts Injury Lawyer: If you are injured in a car accident in Massachusetts, you should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney. As the injured party in an accident and claimant you must prove that the other driver caused the car crash and your injuries. Therefore, accident cases require an immediate and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the crash. An experienced personal injury attorney can help. An experienced lawyer will be able to secure evidence to support your injury claim that another driver or person was negligent. Also, an accident attorney can help protect your legal rights to compensation and protect you from the insurance companies attempts to deny or minimize your claim.
Educate Yourself: The first step is educating yourself on the personal injury claim process. We have always found that a well-educated claimant will have a much better chance of obtaining the financial compensation they warrant for their injuries. This is because they will know what to do and what not to do immediately after a car accident. In some cases, making a mistake early on in your claim could be detrimental to your case.
Contact Our Framingham Car Accident Attorneys Today
The Three Important Steps to take Immediately After a Car Accident is a great start to making sure you are protecting your right to receive fair compensation for your damages. These steps are very helpful and will inform you on what to do and what not to do so you and your loved ones are in the position to get what you deserve after being seriously injured in a crash.
We wish everyone a safe and fun New Year’s Eve and a happy and healthy 2019!
Don’t forget, for answers to many questions and great information on how to get the best possible settlement in your accident case, get a copy of our book: 