An impaired driver drifted off the road hitting a parked car and then slamming into a second parked car head on knocking down the driver who had been loading items in the trunk. The female driver of the Uber car was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Police at the scene said that the driver of the car was a 36-year-old man who is now under arrest for DUI and vehicular assault due to the seriousness of the injuries. The accident happened at the 7400 block of 8th Ave Spokane Valley on Thursday, November 22, 2018.
Drunk Driving in Washington State
In Washington State in 2017, there were over 8,000 DUI-related collisions with 500 resulting in serious injuries and 133 fatalities. In the past 30 years, the number of DUI fatalities reduced by a third. Though this is good news, there are still a large number of people needlessly injured through the poor decisions of others.
Impaired Driving
Alcohol works on the brain causing the reaction time of the impaired to be greatly reduced. This alone increased the likelihood of a crash. The impaired is also robbed of the ability to make good and reasonable decisions. Thus, an impaired driver is likely to take greater risks on top of those that come naturally with drinking and driving.
What can I do?
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, there are steps people can take to reduce the risk of driving while impaired:
- If you will be drinking, plan on not driving. Plan your safe ride home before you start the party. Designate a sober driver ahead of time.
- If someone you know has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys and help them arrange a sober ride home.
- If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement. Your actions could help save someone’s life
Do I need an attorney if I’m injured by an Impaired Driver?
The answer is almost always yes. There is a chance that the insurance company and their lawyers will do what’s right, however, this is not usually the case. You need an attorney that knows the law and the types of damages that can occur from a DUI. Don’t let the insurance company give you as little as possible, but get someone who can stand up to them. You need to get an attorney that specializes in these types of cases to make sure the highly-paid defense lawyers and the insurance companies treat you fairly.
Crary, Clark, Domanico, & Chuang, P.S., has experienced attorneys trained in the law dealing with drunk driving and personal injury. They can go toe-to-toe with the insurance companies and their lawyers to get you fair compensation for your injuries. Call them at (509) 926 4900 or send them a message.
