More than 100 million Americans are estimated to have watched Super Bowl 50 last night as the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers. Many of those football fans celebrated by watching the biggest game of the year with their families and their friends, rounding out their celebrations with food, drinks, and good times by all. Cheering for your favorite team or simply watching to find out which team would be crowned champions at the end of an NFL season can be a fun activity, but unfortunately for many, the number of drunk driving accidents and collisions is believed to increase around the Super Bowl as many fans will drive after drinking.
No matter what the reason for celebrating, it is always illegal to drive under the influence in Chicago. Doing so will subject a driver to many possible penalties including criminal charges, time in jail or prison, the loss of a driver’s license, mandatory use of an ignition interlock device, and/or fines and fees. All of these penalties are designed to benefit the public at large, though, and not anyone who is directly injured by a drunk driver. If an impaired motorist causes a collision that results in harm, those victims must affirmatively seek their own relief through the use of a separate type of legal action.
Civil claims for personal injuries are designed to right the wrongs done by negligent or reckless motorists, including those who drive drunk. By asserting your rights against anyone responsible for a collision, you may be able to recover for the totality of your damages which often includes things like the cost of medical treatment, pain and suffering, lost wages, and the permanency of any harm. It is the right of a victim to work with a lawyer that she chooses and utilizing an attorney with personal injury experience can help you toward a path of recovery.
In 2015, Forbes reported that users of BACtrack, a smartphone-enabled breathalyzer system, reported an average blood alcohol content (“BAC”) of .091 on Super Bowl Sunday which is above the legal limit of .08 in Illinois. By comparison, the users of the system had an average .09 BAC on Cinco de Mayo and a .094 BAC on both New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day weekend, showing that Super Bowl Sunday can be just as dangerous for drunk drivers as some of the major holidays associated with alcohol.
If you were involved in a car accident with a drunk driver, know that the legal team at Abels & Annes, P.C. is standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take your call and to discuss your rights. We offer a case consultation without cost or obligation to victims of car crashes in Chicago and to the loved ones of those who lost their lives in a collision. If you need help, call us toll free at (855) 529-2442, locally at (312) 924-7575, or contact us online and speak with one of our experienced attorneys now. If we represent you, we will never charge you a fee unless we make a recovery on your behalf and we will advance all case-related expenses.
Prior Blog Entry:
Car Accidents are the Leading Cause of Teen Death, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published February 4, 2016.