Drunk driving is a plague on the people of Ohio. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year, hundreds of people are killed in crashes involving drunk drivers in Ohio.
The same statistics show that over 1 in 50 drivers has driven a vehicle after drinking too much alcohol, which is higher than the national average.
This reckless behavior puts everyone on the road in danger. No age group is safe from harm by a drunk driver. Once somebody gets behind the wheel after drinking, the odds are high that they will harm someone else on the road.
Unfortunately, even though Ohio has strict drunk driving laws and school-based instructional programs to prevent drunk driving, this behavior continues. And if you or a family member is a victim of drunk driving, no amount of preventative measures can help.
Instead, you need the help of drunk driving accident attorneys in Canton who will get you money to help you recover from your injuries or the loss of a loved one. If a drunk driver has hurt you, call the drunk driving accident lawyers at Slater & Zurz.
The Definition of Drunk Driving
Nationally, driving under the influence of alcohol is defined as driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. While some states use a more strict definition of drunk driving, Ohio uses the national standard.
Other than performing a test, there is no way to be certain what the blood alcohol content of a person is. However, good guidelines can determine whether someone is likely to be drunk based on their expected BAC if they’ve been recently drinking.
As a simple rule of thumb, the more a person weighs, the more drinks they can imbibe before becoming legally drunk. At around 100 pounds, most people can have a single drink without getting drunk. At 240 pounds, that number increases to approximately three to four drinks.
For this scale, a drink is defined as approximately one bottle or can of beer, one glass of wine, or one shot of hard alcohol.
These numbers may vary wildly based on several genetic factors, which means the best policy is simply to avoid drinking before driving. Many people may appear to be completely sober, despite being drunk.
If you have reason to suspect that a driver who hit you was drunk, speak with an attorney for drunk driving accidents immediately. The drunk driving accident lawyers at Slater & Zurz can investigate the other driver’s behavior before your accident and determine whether they were drunk.
What to Do After a Drunk Driving Accident in Canton
After you have suffered an injury in a drunk driving accident, a lot of people will probably try to speak with you, including:
- Police officers
- Medics
- Doctors
- Witnesses
- Drivers and passengers in the other vehicle
- Insurance company agents
- Family and friends
Except for medical professionals, you should avoid speaking to anyone about the accident until you have contacted a Canton drunk driving accident lawyer from Slater & Zurz.
Our attorneys for drunk driving accidents will ensure that you don’t say anything that can be interpreted as an admission of liability in your case. We will be present while you make a statement to the police and file your injury claim with the insurance company.
We will also approve any statements you make on social media and let you know what information you can safely share with concerned friends and family. Any statement you make or anything you sign can be used against you in a trial and should be approved in advance by a Canton drunk driving accident lawyer from Slater & Zurz.
Once you have retained our services, your main priority will be recovering from your accident. Our lawyers for drunk driving accidents can help you find the best doctors for your injuries in Canton. While receiving treatment, you must carefully preserve all medical records and expenses incurred. We will use that evidence to litigate your case.
While you are recovering, our drunk driving accident attorneys will handle your case. We will investigate the accident and collect all relevant evidence. With that evidence in hand, your drunk driving accident lawyer will pursue a fair settlement with the insurance company that pays for your expenses and awards your non-economic damages.
If that fails, we will file a lawsuit on your behalf and take the insurance companies to court to ensure that you get paid.
Don’t settle for less than you deserve after being injured in a drunk driving accident. Call the Canton drunk driving accident lawyers at Slater & Zurz.
How a Slater & Zurz Drunk Driving Accident Attorney Can Help After the Wrongful Death of a Loved One
According to the CDC, approximately one-third of all fatalities in car accidents are due to drunk driving. When your family member dies as a result of a drunk driving accident, they are more than a statistic.
Your lost loved one is a mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, cousin, uncle, aunt, or grandparent who will never again visit during the holidays or hug you. At Slater & Zurz, we understand the tragedy of that loss.
Our Canton drunk driving accident attorneys are here to compassionately help you recover after the wrongful death of a loved one. We will fight to get you money for:
- Funeral costs
- Lost family income
- Emotional pain
- Other expenses incurred due to the family member’s death
The last category is particularly important when a mother or father is killed in an accident. The living spouse will likely need assistance caring for non-adult children. The death of a father or mother often incurs additional childcare costs, transportation costs, and other costs necessary to replace the duties of the lost parent.
Drunk driving accident attorneys from Slater & Zurz won’t just help you get the money you need to move on after the death of a loved one. We will also help you get the other resources that you may need.
Our attorneys have information about support resources in Canton that will help you during your mourning period and beyond. If you need non-legal help after a loved one has been killed in a drunk driving accident, call us at (330) 968-2547 to get assistance from a lawyer who focuses on drunk driving accidents.
Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys from Slater & Zurz in Canton, Ohio
At Slater & Zurz, we sincerely hope we never have to represent another client in a drunk driving accident case. Until that wonderful day comes around, our Canton personal injury lawyers are always ready to help clients who have been injured or lost loved ones due to the recklessness of a drunk driver.
We have a long record of getting six- and seven-figure judgments and settlements for our Ohio clients. Our lawyers for drunk driving accidents are experienced in investigating cases, uncovering strong evidence, and negotiating with insurance companies.
The insurance companies know our reputation for being willing to go to trial and our competence in the courtroom. This encourages them to negotiate in good faith and pay our clients what they deserve for the harm they suffered from a drunk driving accident.
Additionally, if a drunk driver has injured you in a way that prevents you from visiting our law office, we will send a drunk driving accident lawyer to visit you. Don’t wait another minute. Call Slater & Zurz at (330) 968-2547 for a free consultation if you need a drunk driving attorney near Canton.
If you are the victim of a drunk driving accident, Ohio allows you to collect money equal to the full cost of the economic damages you suffered from that accident. Additionally, you may collect limited non-economic damages for pain and suffering.
Usually, the only way to get non-economic damages and to ensure that you receive the full amount of economic damage you deserve is by suing the person that hit you. A drunk driving lawyer in Canton from Slater & Zurz will make filing a lawsuit easy.
A driver who crashes while drunk will usually be charged with a DUI. If they are convicted, it will be a lot easier for you to collect money from the accident because drunk drivers are automatically considered liable for an accident.
You will still need to file a claim with their insurance company and probably sue them, but your case will be easier to win because they were drinking.