Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers in Edmonton
Edmonton, Alberta, has plenty of clubs, restaurants, and bars where tourists and locals alike can enjoy themselves and have a good time. However, these venues also present an opportunity for individuals to become inebriated and later get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
When an intoxicated person gets behind the wheel of a car or truck, they almost always create a recipe for disaster.
If you have suffered injuries in an accident that occurred because of a drunk driver, you should always retain a skilled lawyer to represent you in your case as soon as possible. The Edmonton and Alberta drunk driving accident lawyers at MNH Injury Lawyers can meet with you to discuss your drunk driving accident and explain your legal rights and options.
Our legal team has a strong track record of success advocating for victims of drunk driving accidents and getting them the compensation they deserve for their injuries. When you trust our knowledgeable and skilled legal team to handle your drunk driving accident case, you can rest assured that we will zealously advocate for your legal interests and pursue the maximum amount of compensation that is available.
What Is Drunk Driving?
Drunk driving refers to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated or impaired by alcohol. It can have extremely serious car accidents. In Alberta, drunk driving is one of the leading causes of traffic accidents and fatalities.
Statistically, over the past five years in Alberta, nearly 8,600 individuals sustained convictions for impaired driving each year. Moreover, nearly 20 percent of drivers (one in five) who were parties to a car crash consumed alcohol before the collision.
Consequently, courts in Alberta can impose administrative penalties and criminal sanctions when drivers operate their vehicles while intoxicated. In terms of administrative penalties in Alberta, a court can impose sanctions when drivers have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) between .05 percent and .079 percent—even though these standards are stricter than those in the Criminal Code of Canada.
Generally speaking, when a person has a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher, and they operate a motor vehicle, they are per se intoxicated. Stricter standards often apply to commercial motor vehicle drivers—such as truck drivers—as well as minors.
In addition, a police officer has the discretion to arrest a motor vehicle operator for impaired driving if their mannerisms and other characteristics demonstrate that they are under the influence of alcohol. For example, a police officer might observe that a driver has bloodshot eyes or slurred speech, and after considering all of the circumstances, may conclude that the driver is under the influence of alcohol.
In addition to facing administrative and civil penalties for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, drunk drivers can also face civil liability if they cause injuries. Specifically, the drunk driver’s insurance company will step in to provide the necessary coverage for the accident-related injuries.
If you have suffered injuries in a motor vehicle collision that resulted from drunk driving, you have legal options that are available to you. The knowledgeable and experienced Edmonton and Alberta drunk driving accident lawyers at MNH Injury Lawyers can discuss how your accident happened and file a claim to seek monetary compensation.
Our team will explain all of your options to you in easy-to-understand terms and can help you pursue the justice and compensation that you deserve for your injuries.
What Happens When a Drunk Driver Gets Behind the Wheel of a Car or Truck?
When a drunk or intoxicated driver gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, serious consequences may result. This is because alcohol is a depressant and can significantly slow down a person’s central nervous system and ability to function properly. Even when a driver has a small amount of alcohol in their system, it might delay the driver’s reaction time, preventing them from stopping their vehicle and avoiding collisions with another motor vehicle or a pedestrian.
In addition, intoxicated motor vehicle operators can experience various physical symptoms, including blurred vision and distorted thinking that prevent them from operating their vehicles safely and carefully. Drunk drivers often operate their vehicles erratically, significantly increasing their chances of causing a collision. Since drunk driving accidents often occur at high rates of speed, they can lead to serious injuries for other drivers and their passengers.
If a drunk driving accident injured you, speak with a drunk driving accident lawyer in Edmonton and Alberta as soon as possible. The skilled legal team at MNH Injury Lawyers can discuss your drunk driving accident with you and help you make a plan for moving forward with a drunk driving accident claim.
Types of Car Accidents that Can Happen Due to Drunk Driving
When a drunk driver gets behind the wheel of a car or truck, it can lead to various types of serious accidents and debilitating injuries. One of the most common drunk driving accidents is a rear-end collision. Alcohol can severely impact a driver’s reaction time and will slow it down. Therefore, the driver may not stop their vehicle before colliding with another vehicle in front.
A forceful rear-end impact can cause an accident victim’s body to move forward and backward abruptly in their seat. At other times, a part of the accident victim’s body might strike something in the vehicle, such as the headrest, window, door frame, or steering wheel, resulting in a serious injury.
Another common accident that results from drunk driving is a T-bone accident. Intoxicated motor vehicle drivers often experience altered judgment, and they may tend to drive erratically or run a stop sign, yield sign, or red traffic light.
If an intoxicated driver does this at a traffic intersection, they can cause a T-bone accident, where the front of their vehicle collides with the side of a vehicle going in the opposite direction. When a T-bone accident occurs forcefully enough, it might cause the vehicle on the receiving end to overturn or spin around in the middle of the intersection.
Intoxicated motor vehicle drivers sometimes also cause head-on collisions. A head-on collision happens when the front of one vehicle strikes the front of another vehicle moving in the opposite direction. Head-on collisions frequently happen on dual-lane highways with one lane of travel in each direction.
An intoxicated driver might not drive straight or control their vehicle properly. As a result, the driver might cause their vehicle to veer over into the opposing travel lane, resulting in a head-on collision.
An intoxicated driver might also cause their vehicle to strike a stationary object in the middle of the road or on the side of the road head-on, such as a tree or a median strip. Head-on collisions can bring about some of the most serious types of injuries because they typically occur at high speeds.
Finally, intoxicated drivers sometimes also cause sideswipe collisions, where the side of their vehicle strikes the side of another vehicle that is moving in the same direction. Sideswipe collisions are especially common on busy, multi-lane highways that have numerous travel lanes going in each direction. An intoxicated driver might not keep their vehicle squarely in the same lane. Consequently, their vehicle might veer over into another travel lane, striking the side of another vehicle.
If a drunk driver injured you, speak with the knowledgeable Edmonton and Alberta drunk driving accident lawyers at MNH Injury Lawyers as soon as possible. Our compassionate legal team can investigate the circumstances of your accident and determine your eligibility for filing a claim for damages. If you can file one of these claims, we can assist you with the process and work to negotiate a favorable settlement offer with the insurance company on your behalf.
Injuries That Victims of Drunk Driving Accidents May Suffer
Victims of Edmonton and Alberta drunk driving collisions can suffer very serious injuries. This is especially true when the accident happens at a high rate of speed, such as on a busy highway. The force of an impact from the drunk driver’s vehicle can severely jar the accident victim’s body in the car, leading to significant injuries. Some of the most common injuries that accident victims suffer in drunk driving accidents include traumatic head injuries, broken bones, soft tissue injuries, abrasions, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, and death.
If a person suffers a fatal injury in a drunk driving accident, their surviving family members might file a wrongful death claim or lawsuit on their behalf, seeking various damages.
If you have suffered any of these injuries in a drunk driving accident, speak with the skilled legal team at MNH Injury Lawyers as soon as possible. Our team will passionately advocate for your legal interests and work to get you the compensation that you need for all of your accident-related injuries. We are used to negotiating fiercely with insurance companies and obtaining favorable settlement compensation for our clients.
We understand the nuances of the province’s Section B Benefits, its Minor Injury Regulation, and the Alberta Insurance Act, among the many other laws that govern Edmonton drunk driving accidents.
Potential Damages for Victims of Drunk Driving Accidents
Victims of drunk driving accidents in the Edmonton, Alberta area can pursue various types of monetary compensation and damages for their injuries. The damages that an accident victim might be eligible to recover will depend on the severity of their injuries. In cases where an accident victim suffered a permanent disability or injury, and the accident victim can demonstrate permanency, then the damages will likely escalate.
Accident victims can pursue a lost wage claim if they had to miss time from work after their accident.
In addition, they can pursue non-economic damages, including compensation for pain and suffering, inconvenience, emotional distress, mental anguish, loss of earning capacity, loss of the use of a body part, and lost enjoyment of life. In addition, an accident victim can pursue compensation for loss of family support or spousal companionship related to their injuries.
If you suffered injuries in a drunk driving accident, you need a knowledgeable Edmonton and Alberta drunk driving accident lawyer advocating for you at all times and pursuing the compensation you deserve.
The skilled legal team at MNH Injury Lawyers can serve as your advocate, both when negotiating with the insurance company adjuster and when litigating your case in the courtroom. Our legal team will fight for your right to recover the compensation that you deserve for all of your injuries, including your pain, suffering, and inconvenience.
Talk With our Edmonton Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers about Your Legal Matter Today
If you have suffered injuries in an accident that resulted from drunk driving, get knowledgeable and skilled legal representation in your corner.
The knowledgeable and compassionate legal team at MNH Injury Lawyers is just as experienced at the negotiating table as in the courtroom. We will passionately pursue favorable settlement compensation on behalf of our clients, and if the insurance company refuses to compensate you adequately, we welcome the opportunity to litigate your case through the Alberta court system.
For a free legal consultation in case evaluation, please call us today or contact us online for more information. We know how devastating the effects of a drunk driving crash can be, and we fight to hold these dangerous drivers fully accountable.
Edmonton Office Location
10339 124 St Suite 200, Edmonton, AB T5N 3W1, Canada
