Despite the “Don’t Drink and Drive” campaigns, drunk driving continues to be a serious problem in New Jersey. It is also ranked as a major problem across the nation. Over 1 million drivers were arrested in 2011 for DUI of alcohol or drugs. Just about 33 percent of all drivers arrested or convicted of drunk driving are repeat offenders.
In drunk driving accidents that involve injuries or death, victims or their families are eligible to file for personal injury claims for compensation for their injuries and damages, or file a wrongful death lawsuit if a loved one was killed. The personal injury attorneys at Petrillo & Goldberg Law have decades of personal injury practice behind them and they can help you navigate claims for compensation as a result of an accident.
According to data published by the New Jersey Department of Law & Public Safety, of the roughly 30,000 fatal car crashes nationwide each year, roughly 31 percent involve DWI/DUI. Someone dies in a drunk driving accident every hour. Others who survive may sustain life-changing injuries. Drunk driving in South New Jersey and across the state continues to be a significant problem. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study shows that 1.5 percent of New Jersey drivers admit to getting behind the wheel of a vehicle to drive after drinking too much at least once within the past 30 days
According to New Jersey State Police, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the CDC:
- In 2015 DWI was listed as a contributing factor in 118 out of 522 fatal crashes in New Jersey
- Roughly 80 percent of drunk drivers killed tested positive for a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher
- Most drunk drivers die after colliding with fixed objects (33 of 51 deaths in 2015)
- The vast majority of drivers that died in alcohol-related accident were not drunk
- Most fatal drunk driving accidents happen on county and state roads
- New Jersey’s interstates log fewer accidents (32 deaths in 2015)
- Drunk driving deaths cost New Jersey taxpayers on average an estimated $992 million yearly
- Pedestrian are frequently involved in fatal DWI crashes (170 of 522 in 2015)
There is hope on the horizon. According to the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2018 Year End Holiday Crackdown 1,269 DWI arrests were made, down from 1,400 during the 2017 campaign.
Petrillo & Goldberg Law help personal injury victims obtain the compensation they deserve. Our office is located in Pennsauken, New Jersey. We offer free initial consultation. Give us a call at (856) 249-9288.