Bernstein & Maryanoff

Miami Car Accident Lawyers
and the Prevalence of Alcohol-Caused Accidents

Drinking and driving is obviously a serious problem both in Miami and around the rest of the United States.  Despite all of the efforts of so many people to curb this dangerous practice, too many drivers still make the always-bad decision to consume alcohol and then to get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive on public roads.  Unfortunately, this leads to a high number of serious accidents.  If you or someone you love has been harmed by a drunk driver, you need to seek the help of Miami car accident lawyers as soon as possible.  In the meantime, below is a brief look at how these situations can play out in civil court.

Miami Car Accidents with Alcohol Listed as a Factor

Recently, Florida published the statistics regarding Florida car accidents overall for 2009.  While many of the numbers they recorded were positive in regards to the downward trend of accidents, the numbers regarding Miami car accidents where alcohol was listed as a factor remained high.  During 2009, a total of 403 car accidents occurred within the city limits with alcohol listed as a cause.  If one includes Miami Beach in the total, that number climbs to 649 accidents.  That equates to approximately 12 car accidents every week that occur in either Miami or in Miami Beach, or almost two per day.

What This Means in Civil Court

If someone is injured in a Florida car accident and they decide to file a Florida personal injury lawsuit , the standard that’s applied to the situation to decide if the defendant should be liable for damages is that of negligence.  Basically, someone is negligent if he or she failed to act in a manner consistent with how a reasonable person would have acted in similar circumstances.

When it comes to alcohol, anyone who has consumed enough of it to exceed the legal limit in Florida is considered negligent per se, or negligent regardless of how he or she was actually feeling and thinking inside of his or her own head.  When proof that someone was drunk is established, that means that the defendant was negligent.

If you or someone you love has been harmed by a drunk driver, you have rights that exist outside of any criminal prosecution that begins.  Seek the help of Miami DUI accident lawyers who have been holding drunk drivers accountable for the harm they have caused for many years.  Contact Bernstein & Maryanoff today to schedule a free initial consultation.