Drunk Driving Losses | Carabin Shaw’s San Antonio Attorneys Can Help

Each day, 29 people in the U.S. die in car crashes involving a drunk driver—that’s one death every fifty minutes. In 2016 alone, more than ten thousand people died in crashes involving drunk drivers. And each year, alcohol-related crashes result in $44 billion in drunk driving losses. Sadly, Texas leads the nation in the number of alcohol-related fatalities each year. If you’ve been hurt in a San Antonio car wreck caused by a drunk driver, or have lost a loved one to a drunk driving wreck, you have options. If you’re wondering, “What should I do now?” or “How do I find an auto accident lawyer near me?” then our experts at Carabin Shaw are here to help. Read on to learn about drunk driving statistics, reckless driving, and how to choose the right San Antonio auto accident lawyer.

In 2016, more than a million drivers were arrested in America for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. To make matters worse, 111 million drivers each year drive drunk, according to self-reported data scaled to obtain national estimates.

Approximately one third of all traffic crash fatalities in America involve drunk driving. And almost 30 people in the U.S. die every day in a crash involving an intoxicated driver. Drunk driving is an epidemic, and it’s one of the most serious problems facing our nation today.

You may think that drunk driving is an example of negligence. However, while negligence and reckless driving may result in similar injuries or damages, the two offenses are very different. Negligent driving is a civil offense, but reckless driving is typically considered a crime.

So what’s the difference? According to our San Antonio auto accident lawyers, negligence refers to unintentional harm. That is, negligence occurs when someone unintentionally acted—or drove—in an unsafe way.

Reckless driving, however, involves a driver taking unnecessary risks deliberately. Reckless driving occurs when a driver operates a motor vehicle with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of another person or property. When someone drinks before getting behind the wheel, they are making a choice to do so.

For these reasons, drunk driving is considered reckless driving rather than negligence. And for these reasons, it is possible to charge drivers with a DUI and reckless driving after they have driven under the influence of alcohol.

If you were hurt in a car wreck caused by a drunk driver—or have lost a loved one to drunk driving—you have the option to sue the at-fault driver for property damage, other financial losses, and for the emotional distress they have caused you.

When choosing a lawyer to handle your case, it’s important to choose carefully—since the attorney you choose plays a big role in influencing your case’s outcome. For lawsuits against drunk drivers, you should choose a lawyer with extensive experience handling car accident cases, trial experience, and plenty of legal resources and staff.

Here at Carabin Shaw, our San Antonio car injury lawyers have been handling drunk driving cases for more than two decades. Our attorneys have 200 years of combined legal experience and have recovered more than $500 million in compensation for our satisfied clients. We believe that drunk drivers should be held accountable for the harm they have caused others, and our San Antonio auto accident lawyers are passionate about helping victims get the compensation—and justice—they rightly deserve.

Call our San Antonio office today at 210-222-2288 to receive your free consultation with a San Antonio car injury lawyer, and to find out how we can help you receive the compensation you deserve after your drunk driving losses.