Drunk Driver Car Accident: How to Claim
Around 10,000 people a year become casualties of drink driver accidents on UK roads and some 300 are killed by such collisions. With such a serious danger on our streets it is important to know how to make a claim if it happens to you.
Professional accident claim solicitors in Cardiff
Drink Driving
Unfortunately, there will always be some idiot who decides to drink drive. Driving your car while under the influence, even if you do not feel drunk, can severely affect your ability to drive safely. Alcohol will slow down your reaction times and impair your awareness of your surroundings.
The legal limit of alcohol for drivers in the UK is:
- 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath
- 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood
- 107 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine
There isn’t any way of predicting how many drinks this is as alcohol affects people in different ways. Factors that can influence this include your age, weight and sex, as well as the type of alcohol you have been drinking or even what you’ve eaten recently.
If you are caught driving while over the legal limit then you can have your license taken off you for a year, receive up to a £5,000 fine or even be sentenced to 6 months in prison.
If You Are in a Crash with a Drink Driver
If you get into, or witness a car crash where you feel a driver is under the influence it is important to treat it like any other crash and call the police. Mention your worries to the police on arrival and they can do a roadside breathalyser test. We wouldn’t recommend you tell the other driver you’re telling the police as it could create a situation.
If a driver refuses to take a breath test they will be taken to the police station immediately where 2 specimens of breath will be requested for analysis. If the driver still refuses then they are considered to have committed an offence.
Be aware that if a roadside test is taken, and the result is over the limit, the guilty party will still have to do these extra tests at the station. However the lowest reading will be used so it is possible to be released once at the station.
As with any other crash it is important to take down details of the other driver, take photographs and make a quick sketch of the scene soon after the collision. These details can be used by insurance providers or even in a court case if required.
How to Make a Claim
If you can prove to have been in a collision with a drink driver then you may have a good case for compensation. Get in contact with a specialist accident claims solicitor and they can make a claim on your behalf. Or if you would like to learn more about accident claims then speak to the experts such as Nigel Jones’ solicitors firm, JMD Law in Cardiff or an equivalent in your area.