The state of Maryland’s legal limit for blood-alcohol content (BAC) level is 0.08 percent. But even with being under this BAC level, your driving capabilities can be impaired. Read on to discover how alcohol can affect your driving and how one of the seasoned Howard County drunk driving accident attorneys at Lloyd J. Eisenberg & Associates can help you in the unfortunate event that you are a victim of a drunk driver.
How does alcohol hurt my driving capabilities?
Put simply, alcohol can impair your judgment, concentration, coordination, and vision. The following are examples of how each impairment can hurt your driving capabilities.
- Impaired judgment:
- Not understanding the risk of running a red light.
- Not sensing the danger of speeding.
- Impaired concentration:
- Not monitoring your speed.
- Not maintaining your lane.
- Not remembering to use turn signals.
- Not being able to multitask (i.e., changing lanes while checking for blind spots).
- Impaired coordination:
- Not being able to time your braking.
- Not being able to time your turns.
- Not being able to time your lane changes.
- Impaired vision:
- Not being able to see potential hazards on the side of the road.
- Not being able to see neighboring motor vehicles in your blind spots.
- Not being able to see pedestrians crossing the street.
How do dram shop laws apply to my drunk driving accident?
If you are, unfortunately, involved in a drunk driving accident, you may identify the drunk driver as the negligent party. However, the establishment that served the drunk driver alcohol may also be at fault. This reigns true if there was a violation of any of Maryland’s dram shop laws, which include the following:
- The establishment overserved the patron when they were already visibly intoxicated (i.e., slurred speech, stumbled walking, glassy eyes, etc).
- The establishment overserved the patron when they were under the legal drinking age of 21.
- The establishment served the patron after its operating hours.
- The establishment served the patron without a valid liquor license to do so.
In this case, you will place your personal injury claim against the drunk driver and the establishment.
How else do I prove my case?
To satisfy the burden of proof for your case, you can collect the results of the drunk driver’s field sobriety tests that a law enforcement officer likely conducted when you called them to the scene of your accident. You can also collect the following:
- A copy of the police report.
- Photos and videos of the scene, your injuries, and your damages.
- Witness testimonies.
- Medical documentation of the date, time, and severity of your injuries.
- Medical bills of your required treatments.
Your personal injury case may get complicated or delayed because the drunk driver will likely be undergoing criminal proceedings first. Rest assured, one of the competent Howard County auto accident attorneys will fight for you to receive the financial compensation that you require to heal. Call us today.
