An accident involving a drunk driver can inflict life-altering injuries on a victim. Such accidents are often catastrophic and impact a victim for long or permanently.
Consumption of alcohol can slow down reflexes while driving and nullify logical decision-making, which can help avoid potential accidents on the road. The intoxicated state of drivers can make them lose good vision and render them passive.
You can only ensure that auto insurance companies don’t take advantage of you by trusting a car accident attorney in Las Vegas with your case. If you represent yourself, insurers may refuse fair financial compensation.
Some Alarming Facts And Statistics On Drunk Driving Accidents
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than twenty-five percent of all traffic-related deaths are the direct result of alcohol impairment.
According to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), thirty people in the United States die daily in car crashes with an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every fifty minutes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that drunk driving is responsible for about 1 in 3 traffic fatalities. About 290,000 individuals in the country are injured in such accidents every year.
Between 2003 and 2012, there were 1,025 people killed in car accidents involving an intoxicated driver in Nevada. During this period, more people died in Nevada due to drunk drivers than in the rest of the nation. Out of every 100,000 residents in the state, 3.3 people died due to a drunk driver, compared to 2.8 people out of every 100,000 nationally. Most of the deaths involve people between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-four. Most of the victims were male.
In 2021, Clark County reported sixty-six fatalities, while in 2022, there were eighty-two reported fatalities.
Drunk Driving Laws In Nevada
Nevada has laws in place that prohibit driving under the influence. Nevada law states that it is unlawful for any person to be in actual physical control of a vehicle on a highway or public road while being under the influence of intoxicating liquor or controlled substance. The law defines Driving Under the Influence (DUI) as driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or more in the driver’s blood or breath.
If Las Vegas drivers are found guilty of driving under the influence in Nevada, they may be subject to penalties such as driver’s license suspension, fines, mandatory interlock installation, higher car insurance premiums, and even jail time. These are the potential consequences of a criminal case against a drunk driver. They may also face civil penalties. A civil lawsuit can force a drunk driver to pay for crash victims’ medical bills, property damage, and other losses, generally through the driver’s insurance company.
How Can A DUI Charge Impact Car Insurance In Nevada?
It’s legal for insurance companies in Nevada to refuse to give car insurance to DUI offenders. Many carriers offer car insurance after a DUI, but their policies are more than fifty percent more expensive than those for drivers with clean records.
Insurance providers charge higher rates to DUI offenders because they see them as high-risk to insure.
Car insurance for DUI offenders in Nevada costs approximately $2,761 annually, while motorists with a clean record pay around $1,763 annually.
Form SR-22 In Nevada
You must prove to the State of Nevada that you have car insurance after a drunk driving conviction.
The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles requires drivers to complete and submit form SR-22 through their insurance company.
Form SR-22 is a form that verifies that you have car insurance. It’s a form you file with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles to prove you have car insurance.
Pacific West Injury Law: A Law Firm Built On Honesty, Commitment, And Experience
Our Las Vegas personal injury law firm takes great pride in holding drunk drivers accountable for the injuries, pain, and anguish they cause.
Enlisting our services is a step that can level the playing field for you against insurance companies and defense counsels and put you in the best position to recover the compensation that you deserve.
A Las Vegas drunk driving attorney at our firm can help you explore other options and alternative ways to seek additional compensation for injuries sustained.
Punitive damages may be available to victims in some drunk driving accident cases. These are additional damages that are to be paid to the victim by the drunk driver as a form of punishment. It is meant to come from the drunk driver’s pocket rather than the insurance company.
Contact A Las Vegas Drunk Driving Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one was injured in an accident in Las Vegas, Henderson, or North Las Vegas by a drunk driver, it is natural that you might want to focus on recovery rather than on legal matters. Lawsuits can be expensive and complicated. However, do not let that stop you from seeking the damages you might be entitled to collect.
Call an experienced Las Vegas drunk driving lawyer at our firm for a free case evaluation immediately.
