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If you have been injured in a drunk driving accident, you may have legal options. Contact our Tupelo personal injury lawyers at Mama Justice.

Every year, tens of thousands of people are injured in motor vehicle accidents in the state of Mississippi. Approximately 40% of crashes that take place involve one or more drivers who are under the influence of alcohol. Drunk driving crashes are so prevalent in the United States that they take the lives of more than thirty people every day.

In Mississippi, we have taken several actions to mitigate the issue, however, even though we have passed a mandatory ignition interlock law, we continue to see people injured in drunk driving crashes across the Tupelo area.

If you have been injured as a result of a motor vehicle accident involving a drunk driver, you may have legal options available to help you move forward. By seeking the guidance of a drunk driving accident lawyer in Tupelo as soon as possible, you will be in the best position possible to recover. Our lawyers at Mama Justice can meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss the circumstances surrounding your accident and the legal options available for you.

Our lawyers at Mama Justice are dedicated to providing the most effective legal representation to each of our clients. We understand the challenges that victims face after being injured in accidents. This drives our team to fight aggressively to ensure victims are able to hold wrongdoers accountable and get justice. Contact our drunk driving accident lawyers in Tupelo at your earliest convenience to schedule a free case evaluation and get started on your case.

Drunk Driving Statistics in Mississippi

Each year, tens of thousands of people are involved in auto accidents in the state of Mississippi. Hundreds of victims end up passing away due to their injuries. Reports from the Mississippi Department of Transportation show that nearly 18% of all fatal traffic accidents in our state are caused by drivers who are under the influence of alcohol.

Not only is drunk driving an issue locally, but it is a growing issue across the entire nation. In the United States, drunk driving accidents take the lives of more than 10,200 people each year, accounting for nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities each year. This equates to roughly 28 people every day or around one person every 52-minutes.

Common Accidents Involving Drunk Drivers

People who enter roadways while impaired can lose control of their vehicles quickly. This can have a life-changing impact on other people who are sharing the roads with them. In Tupelo, we see various types of drunk driving accidents impact people every day. Some of the leading types of drunk driving accidents in our area include:

• Pedestrian accidents: Many of our roads in Tupelo offer sidewalks for pedestrians. Although these are designed to be safe locations for travelers to walk through, there are instances where impaired motorists drive over curbs and strike them.
• Sideswipe accidents: There are many instances where impaired drivers drift out of their lanes and crash into other vehicles.
• T-bone accidents: Drivers who are impaired may not be able to react in time to avoid crashes at intersections. As a result, they are likely to crash into the sides of vehicles that have the right of way.
• Head-On crashes: When drivers drift into lanes traveling the opposite way, they can cause head-on collisions. We often see many impaired drivers enter highways and interstates while traveling in the wrong direction.
• Rear-end crashes: Drivers who are impaired often have delayed reaction times. They are likely to fail to stop for vehicles traveling in front of them during construction, at red lights, or in congested areas. As a result, we see many impaired drivers crash into the rear-ends of vehicles traveling in front of them.
• Rollover accidents: Drivers under the influence of alcohol may have a difficult time navigating their vehicle around curves and objects in the road. As a result, impaired drivers are at an increased risk of rolling their vehicles.

If you have been injured in these or other types of collisions involving drunk drivers, you must act quickly to protect your legal rights. Waiting can result in the loss of evidence that you need to build a strong case. It is important that you reach out to a car accident lawyer in Mississippi as soon as possible to get justice and hold impaired drivers accountable for harming you.

How Being Impaired Affects Driving

Driving while impaired can negatively impact various senses that we all need to operate our vehicles in a safe and effective manner. Even though people may not be considered drunk due to their blood-alcohol level, they may still be buzzed. Even buzzed driving can be incredibly dangerous for other motorists sharing the road.

Although some people think it is safe to drive while buzzed, studies have found that this act can have very serious consequences. Some of the ways driving while buzzed or impaired can impact our ability to maintain control over our vehicles include:

Reaction time

When a person is operating their vehicle, they must be prepared to stop, move over, or react to anything at any given moment. When a person is under the influence of alcohol, it can have a negative impact on their reaction time. Even being buzzed can significantly decrease how quickly a driver responds to events while on the road.

Judgment

In addition to delaying a driver’s reaction time, driving while under the influence of alcohol can impact your judgment. Drivers who are impaired by any amount of alcohol may have a difficult time determining if they have enough time to stop in order to avoid a collision. Impaired drivers often misjudge how much space they have between their vehicles and others sharing the road. As a result, drivers engage in evasive actions that lead to crashes.

Color distinction

Being impaired can make it difficult for drivers to differentiate different signs and signal colors. Impaired drivers may not be able to tell if a light is blinking red or orange. They may have a difficult time seeing text on signs and signals as well. This can lead to very dangerous circumstances.

Vision

Being under the influence of alcohol can make it extremely difficult to read signs and to see other vehicles, objects, and people. Some people experience vision loss or things may appear blurry to them. Mixing alcohol with dark or inclement weather conditions just makes the circumstances even worse.

People who enter the roadway with a blood alcohol level of 0.8 or above are considered to be impaired under our state’s law. However, there are many instances where drivers experience problems with maintaining control of their vehicles while only buzzed. Buzzed driving can have severe consequences for you and other drivers sharing the road. It is best to avoid drinking and driving altogether. If you are harmed in an accident with an impaired driver, do not wait to protect your legal rights.

Criminal Vs. Civil Drunk Driving Cases

Whenever someone thinks of the punishment for a drunk driver, they often imagine the person getting hauled away from the scene of the crash while handcuffed in the back of a police car. Per Mississippi Code § 63-11-30, a person who operates their vehicle while intoxicated may face criminal charges. This law extends to cover people who:

• Are intoxicated due to the consumption of alcohol.
• A driver who is under the influence of an illegal controlled substance.
• A person whose blood-alcohol concentration registers above the legal limit based on their age at the time.

If a person is convicted of driving while intoxicated, their license can be suspended, they can be forced to pay fines, or they may have to spend time in jail. Unfortunately, criminal consequences against drunk drivers do very little for victims who are harmed by their actions.

Although criminal charges are extremely common, victims who are harmed in crashes are able to pursue legal actions against them as well. Victims who are injured in accidents caused by drunk drivers are able to seek remuneration in civil court by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the impaired driver. Under state law, victims are able to file legal claims against at-fault drivers in civil court regardless of the outcome of their criminal proceedings.

Call our Tupelo drunk driving accident lawyers at (888) 484-1476 to see how we can help you, or fill out our online contact form today to schedule a free initial consultation.

According to Mississippi Code §, 15-1-49 victims have a period of three years following the date of their accident to file civil claims against negligent drivers to hold them to account for their actions. Waiting to take legal action can jeopardize your chances to get justice. Working with a skilled personal injury lawyer in Tupelo can make a world of difference when it comes to your ability to get justice.

Finding a Strong Advocate for Your Case

Drunk driving is a criminal act that continues to cause problems for people across the state of Mississippi every day. Not only do drivers face criminal consequences, but victims harmed in crashes with drunk drivers can take legal action as well in civil court. In order to prevail on your case, it can help immensely to work with a strong personal injury lawyer in Tupelo who will advocate on your behalf.

Our lawyers at Mama Justice will work with criminal investigators to share information surrounding that accident that proves beneficial in building the strongest case imaginable. Not only will our lawyers fight to protect your legal rights, but we will advocate protecting your best interests every step of the way.

If you accept a settlement for a drunk driving case too early, it can negatively impact your ability to recover a more valuable settlement against the negligent driver. Rather than moving forward alone, our drunk driving accident lawyers in Tupelo will help you get justice and maximize the amount of compensation you recover.

Some of the damages we help our clients get full and timely compensation for include:

Do not rush to accept a quick settlement after being harmed. Instead, schedule a free case review with our law firm to discuss the legal options available for you.

Mama Justice is Here To Help You

Dealing with debilitating injuries from drunk driving accidents can make it extremely challenging for victims to work and engage in various tasks. Not only will you be left with painful injuries that impact your mental, physical, and emotional health and wellbeing, but the financial burdens resulting from your accident can be challenging for both you and your family. Dealing with immediate and long-term care costs, lost wages, and vehicle repairs can make it nearly impossible to move forward. For this reason, it is crucial that you reach out to our drunk driving accident lawyers in Mississippi as soon as possible. Our lawyers are truly committed to helping you maximize the amount of financial compensation you receive by pursuing legal actions against negligent drivers.

With our Mississippi personal injury lawyers at Mama Justice by your side, you can rest assured knowing you are in the best hands possible. Our lawyers will fight to protect your legal rights and best interests every step of the way as we provide you with the most aggressive and skilled representation. Our team will meet with you to discuss your needs and your goals moving forward and we will fight tooth and nail to make sure you are able to obtain the outcome you expect.

The Tupelo drunk driving accident lawyers at Mama Justice are available to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss your accident and to help you move forward and get justice. We offer free, no-obligation consultations in Jackson or any of our thirteen offices across Mississippi. Contact our drunk driving accident lawyers today by calling (662) 262-6264.

Our drunk driving accident lawyers in Tupelo are here to help. Please contact us today.