California Drunk Driving Victims
Northern California DUI Injury Lawyers
Don’t Drink & Drive!
Drunk drivers threaten the safety of our California streets, highways, and interstates every day. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) estimates that 513,000 people are injured in alcohol-related crashes each year. That’s 59 people per hour or one person every minute (1). When you need a California drunk driving lawyer, call Berg Injury Lawyers. We will help bring the wrongdoers to justice.
The deadly facts about drinking and driving:
- About 3 in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives.
- In 2003, there were 17,013 fatalities in alcohol-related crashes (2).
- Of the 17,013 people killed, 14,630 (86%) were killed in crashes where at least one of the drivers or nonoccupants had a BAC (blood-alcohol concentration) of .08 g/dl or higher.
- Alcohol-related deaths constituted approximately 40 percent of the 42,642 total traffic fatalities.
- Every 31 minutes, someone dies in an alcohol-related crash.
- Every minute someone is injured in an alcohol-related crash.
- In 2003, 21% of children 0 to 14 years old who were killed in motor vehicle accidents were killed in alcohol-related crashes.
How dangerous is drinking and driving?
The more you drink, the more likely you are to have a fatal accident. A driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 or greater is seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash than a driver who has not consumed an alcoholic beverage. A driver with an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or greater is about 25 times more likely. In most states, the legal BAC has been lowered to 0.08 in order to reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents.
What is the definition of DWI?
DWI, or Driving While Intoxicated, means operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs with a concentration level in the blood that is considered unsafe to drive a vehicle. In some states, it’s called DUI, or Driving Under the Influence.
Has increasing the minimum drinking age helped reduce alcohol-related crashes?
All states now have a 21-year-old minimum drinking age law. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.nhtsa.dot.gov) estimates that these laws have reduced traffic fatalities involving drivers 18 to 20 years old by 13 percent and have saved an estimated 20,043 lives since 1975.
How can I help reduce the number of alcohol-related traffic accidents?
Progress has been made over the past 20 years, but in spite of all the warnings, including public awareness and education programs, stiffer penalties for violations and efforts by law enforcement agencies to protect the highways, people will still make the decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. The most important thing that you can do to help is to never drive if you have been drinking. Call a cab or give your keys to a designated driver.
Who is usually responsible for drinking and driving?
The age group of 21 to 24 had the highest percentage of drivers with BAC levels of 0.08 g/dl or greater in 2003 (32%) followed closely by 25 to 34 year olds (27%). Safety belts were only worn by 25% of fatally injured drivers.
Tell me more about MADD.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. For more information on how you can get involved, visit their Web site at www.madd.org.
Why should I hire a DUI lawyer?
There are no excuses for drinking and driving. People make a choice when they drink too much alcohol and get behind the wheel. They choose convenience over safety. They choose selfishness over responsibility. They choose to break the law. Thus, if people choose to drink and drive, it’s no accident. It’s time to take a stand and let drunk drivers know we will not accept their reckless judgment. Call a California DUI injury lawyer at Berg Injury Lawyers today.
Drunk driving is wrong and against the law, and yet every day innocent people get hurt by the carelessness of drunk drivers. Our message and our promise is simple: We sue drunk drivers! Together, we will make them pay.
Berg Injury Lawyers Safe and Sober Free Cab Ride Home program
All too often, Alameda-based injury lawyer William Berg witnesses firsthand the pain and heartache suffered by those who have lost a loved one in an alcohol-related crash. To assist in the fight against drunk driving, Berg Injury Lawyers designed and implemented the law firm's Safe and Sober Free Cab Ride Home program.
Launched in the city of Alameda on St. Patrick's Day 2004, expanded to include Oakland over Memorial Day weekend and Berkeley on subsequent holidays, Berg Injury Lawyers Safe and Sober Free Cab Ride Home program seeks to raise community awareness of the dangers of drunk driving and to encourage individuals to make responsible choices by providing a safe transportation alternative on many of the traditionally high alcohol consumption holidays. Cab rides are made available to area residents who otherwise might attempt to drive home after drinking. Rides are provided to an individual's residence, not other drinking locations.
To request a free cab ride home on the designated holidays, an individual can call Yellow Cab of Alameda or Veterans Cab at (800) 281-4488 and tell them Berg Injury Lawyers is paying for their Safe and Sober cab ride home.
Sources:
1) Mothers Against Drunk Driving (www.madd.org), 2003
2) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.nhtsa.gov)
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Our personal injury attorneys are experienced in handling the following cases: Auto Accident, Boat Accident, Brain Injury, Drug Injury, Defective Medical Device, Defective Product, Dog Bite, Drunk Driving (DUI / DWI), Environmental Injury, Fire and Burn, Motorcycle Accident, Slip and Fall/Premises Liability, Truck Accident, and Wrongful Death.
Have you been injured in a drunk driving accident? Contact a California drunk driving lawyer at Berg Injury Lawyers. We have offices located in Alameda, Modesto, Sacramento, Fresno, San Francisco, and San Jose, making our DUI lawyers uniquely situated to advocate for clients across the entire state of California. Complete a FREE Consultation Form online or call our law firm today.
