Labor Day Weekend typically consists of many festivities and party-going, and inevitably, a lot of drinking. It is sad to say that you cannot trust others to make the same responsible decision as you to not get behind the wheel after a night of drinking. This means that drunk driving accidents tend to make a drastic spike on holiday weekends like this one. With that being said, follow along to find out more on Labor Day drunk driving and how a proficient St. Mary’s County car accident lawyer at The Dorsey Law Firm can help if you are involved in such an unfortunate event this weekend.
What are the statistics on Labor Day drunk driving accidents?
It is an unfortunate statistic that intoxicated driving is a leading cause of auto accidents and subsequent fatalities in the state of Maryland. What’s worse, holiday periods like Labor Day Weekend have a higher rate of drunk driving accidents and a higher percentage of drunk driving deaths.
Between the years 2014 to 2018 in Maryland alone, data shows that approximately 16,000 individuals were injured in drunk driving accidents while 800 were killed. On a national level, more than 41 percent of auto accidents were reported to have been caused by impaired drivers on Labor Day Weekend alone.
What should I do if I am involved in a drunk driving accident this weekend?
It is completely unfair if you incurred serious bodily injuries and car damages after being hit by a drunk driver over this Labor Day Weekend. Arguably, the best way to achieve justice in the matter may be by pursuing legal action.
When determining who to file your claim against, you must understand that the state of Maryland does not enforce dram shop laws or social host liability laws. This means that you cannot hold a restaurant, bar, or any other relevant establishment responsible for overserving the drunk driver involved in your accident. Or, you cannot sue a social host for providing or allowing the consumption of alcohol on their property by the drunk driver who later causes your accident.
Rest assured, Maryland’s existing civil statutes may still allow you to place your personal injury claim directly against the negligent drunk driver. But Maryland’s criminal statutes may require the driver to undergo criminal proceedings first. But if you without a doubt want to go down this legal route, we recommend that you retain legal representation immediately. This should definitely be done before Maryland’s statute of limitations of three years from when your drunk driving accident occurred.
At the end of the day, if you have any lingering doubts about the legitimacy of your legal case, a talented St. Mary’s County auto accident lawyer can help relieve them. So whenever you are ready to start, please reach out to The Dorsey Law Firm.
