arizona drunk driving accident

Did you know that in the United States, one person is killed every 50 minutes as a result of motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers (Mothers Against Drunk Driving 2011)? That means every day, 32 people lose their lives of alcohol impaired driving accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that alcohol-related crashes in 2009 reached up to 9,813 incidents nationwide, 196 of which happened in Arizona. During the same year, about 1.4 million drivers were also arrested for driving under the influence.

Alcohol-related crashes have fortunately declined over the years. Despite this welcome change, fatal accidents involving drunk drivers are still a primary concern of the government and private organizations. In fact, more than 10,000 deaths were recorded in car crashes involving an impaired driver whose blood alcohol content reaches or exceeds 0.08 percent in 2009.

Police officers statewide are involved in efforts to stop drunk drivers before they hurt an innocent victim. Unfortunately, one Surprise police officer was not a victim but a drunk driver himself recently when he was arrested for Arizona driving under the influence while having his child in the car.

The driver was taking his 7-year old son to school when the incident happened. According to investigations, he missed a turn and made a wide U-turn, he then drove up on the sidewalk and struck a signal post. He then continued north on Vista Ranch, hit a school zone sign and side swiped a car with a female driver and two children, age 11 and 14, inside.

Police reports revealed that the police officer driving the car could barely stand on his own without falling. He was arrested due to driving under the influence. The authorities also conducted a drug test and it showed that he was under the influence of a nervous system depressant.

He was charged with aggravated DUI and endangerment, both felonies, and is on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of an Arizona drunk driving accident, call us at (480) 753-4534 for a free consultation. We can help you hold these alcohol impaired drivers responsible for their actions.

Drinking and driving is a practice that is never accepted in any part of the country. Drinking alcohol causes impairment in nearly all activities you may try to complete, especially your driving skills. In 2009, there were 30,797 cases of crashes, about 9,813 of which were cases of impaired driving; 32% of them involved DUI (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2009).

Unfortunately people still make the mistake of driving impaired in Arizona. Just last week, an off duty police officer endangered his own son’s life. He is now in jail after drunk driving his son to school in Surprise, Arizona. He was charged with an aggravated DUI and endangerment, both felonies.

The 39-year-old police-driver drove his 7-year-old son to school last Wednesday morning while intoxicated (KPHO 4/14/11). He missed a turn, drove on the sidewalk, struck a signal pole, went on to hit another school zone sign and sideswiped a car twice in its rear end.

He was also given a drug test and was found to have a nervous system depressant in his blood. He later denied taking any drugs except that he took a Nyquil the night before, which he claimed was the cause of his grogginess.

There are many types of substances that can affect the way we think, our body’s condition and our capabilities—even legal drugs. If you are taking any medications that could effect your alertness, try to avoid driving or participating in other potentially dangerous activities until you know how it will effect your body. If you have had anything to drink, please do not get behind the wheel—find a designated driver or call a service to get you home safely.

If you are a victim of an Arizona drinking and driving accident, then give us a call at (602) 267-1280 for some advice. We can answer your questions and hopefully help you get the compensation you deserve.

Drunk or impaired driving is a serious offense because of the increased risk of accidents and injuries to others on the road, but it is even more serious when involving innocent children.  Stories of children injured due to a drunk driver are very sad and we always hope for a speedy recovery.  When a drunk driving parent risks the lives of their own children by driving with them in the car, the story is even sadder.

A Phoenix mother was arrested for three counts of assault and driving under the influence of alcohol in an October 4th accident that left her and her three children seriously injured (KPHO 10/21/10).  She was driving and crossed through oncoming traffic to slam into a concrete wall.  The woman took a breathalyzer test and the results came back at .174 percent, which is more than double the state’s legal limit.  She has been booked into jail while her children are recovering from their injuries with their father.

Approximately every 45 minutes, someone dies in an alcohol-related accident in the U.S. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 7/30/10).  About half of the children under 14 who died in impaired driving accidents in 2008 were passengers in the car with the drunk driver (CDC 7/30/10).

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident you believe was caused by an impaired driver, you may deserve compensation. Our Phoenix child injury accident attorneys have handled a wide-range of auto accident cases and can help you hold negligent motorists liable. Call us today for a free consultation; we may be able to help as the experienced attorneys of Breyer Law. We’re available at (602) 267-1280.

Drunk drivers are causing more serious injuries and deaths on Arizona’s roads. According to reports in the Camp Verde Bugle, the death toll of 502 deaths related to alcohol on Arizona’s roads is climbing back towards 582 deaths in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents that were reported in 1986.

No amount of money will bring back a loved one. Criminal courts only deal with the punishment of drunk drivers, so who will look after those who are left behind? Arizona personal injury lawyers can aid families who have lost an income or are dealing with other financial hardships associated with a wrongful death from someone else’s negligence in a drunk driving accident. Even if someone is only injured in a drunk driving accident in Phoenix, there are often huge financial costs associated with their injuries. Whole families are affected by drinking and driving, and we continue to watch with trepidation as deaths from drunk driving climb in Arizona.

Arizona auto accident lawyers like us help the victims of drunk drivers, and we know many of the questions people ask before bringing a claim. How long will it take to claim? What if the injury is serious? Will it take longer in such cases? What is necessary to file a lawsuit against a drunk driver? Can the party who drank and drove be forced to pay for pain or lost wages because of their negligence? We can answer these questions and many more to enable a family or individual to decide whether to file a personal injury claim.

Keeping the lines of communication with our clients open is important to us, though we are also proud of the fact that we are extremely successful in ensuring that our clients are compensated for their injuries. We are more than willing to answer questions of those involved or affected by serious injury or wrongful death caused by someone else’s negligence. It is not just the legal merit of the case we look at, but whether the claim is in the best interests of the family or individuals involved.

Meanwhile, we can only hope that the enforcement of drunk driving laws by prosecutors and the pursuit of damages by personal injury trial lawyers will help decrease the current spike in fatalities on Arizona’s roads.

The destruction and serious injuries caused by DUI accidents in Arizona outrages me. Those who drink and drive must be prosecuted, and drunk drivers ought to be sued by the injured victims in civil court by personal injury attorneys.

A January 10 report in the East Valley Tribune left me shocked and saddened. A family of four was hit at a four way stop when a pickup driven by two teens went through the stop sign without stopping, broadsiding the family’s car. It was determined that excessive speed caused the crash, and that the two teenagers were under the influence of alcohol. Two boys, aged 6 and 11, died in the crash, and the wife was in critical condition.

The line must be drawn somewhere for those who drink and drive. We as a society must do everything possible to prevent such tragic Arizona drinking and driving accidents from happening.

As Phoenix lawyers that deal with serious injury and wrongful death in Arizona, we aid Mesa, AZ families who have experienced injuries due to accidents. In this case, there is nothing we can do to bring back the lives of these two boys, nor can any settlement bring solace to their parents. Even if we sued the teenagers and their families for everything they had, it would not undo the harm they have caused. Yet it is imperative that drunk drivers be punished not only in criminal courts but also with personal injury cases in civil courts. We at Breyer Law Offices have never defended drunk drivers nor have we taken on drunk driving criminal defense cases. We cannot ethically do so. Rather, we will stand up for the rights of the victims of drunk drivers.

After any drunk driving accident, there are usually innocent victims. These innocent bystanders not only should be compensated for their losses, but as members of society their personal injury suits serve as an added punishment, and hopefully a future deterrent, to drunk drivers. Those who drink and drive must know that they are not only putting their freedom at risk should they be caught, but they may also lose their assets as well. Victims of drunk drivers and their families should contact experienced Arizona DUI accident victim lawyers to both punish drunk drivers as well as receive the compensation that is due them.

Our condolences go out to this family, who can never be compensated enough.