Drunk driving can be fatal for drivers, passengers, and other motorists and pedestrians on the roadway, no matter what the age of the drunk driver. For drivers under the age of 21, drunk driving is especially dangerous. A study conducted by Scott E. Hadland, MD, MPH of the Urban Health and Advocacy Track at Boston Children’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center found that while comprehensive alcohol policies reduce the number of alcohol-related collisions overall, half of the car accidents that resulted in fatal injury to victims under 21 from 2000 to 2003 involved an underage driver with alcohol in their system. In 28 percent of the cases examined, the underage driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was over 0.08 percent, the legal BAC limit for adults. In Pennsylvania, the legal BAC for a driver under 21 is 0.02 percent.
Negligence in Personal Injury Cases
Driving drunk is a clear violation of state and federal traffic laws. As such, any driver who is found to be under the influence of alcohol or another drug at the time of a collision can be found negligent and thus liable for the victim’s resulting damages. Determining negligence is a critical part of any car accident case.
Seeking Compensation Following a Collision With a Teen Drunk Driver
To file a personal injury claim in Pennsylvania, an individual must provide evidence that illustrates how the other drivers were negligent, such as photographs of the accidents, testimonies from witnesses, and official police reports.
If you file a personal injury claim with a negligent driver’s insurance provider, the official police report is a very important piece of evidence to use to support your claim. In the police report, the officer documents whether any laws were violated at the time of the collision. If the other driver involved in your accident was arrested for drunk driving or suspected of being under the influence, this detail can be critical to showing their negligence.
Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers at Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates Can Represent your Car Accident Claim
An experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer can help you pursue the monetary compensation you deserve for your damages after you are injured in a collision with a drunk driver of any age. To learn more, fill out our online form or call 215-567-6600 to schedule your initial consultation with one of the Philadelphia car accident lawyers at Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates. Our office is located in Philadelphia and we proudly represent injured clients from Pennsylvania and New Jersey.