May the wind blow at your back, the sun shine on your face and the road rise to meet your every step. That was always one of my favorite Irish blessings and I felt that it was very appropriate considering Saint Patrick’s Day has just passed.
To be honest, St Patty’s is not one of my favorite holidays. In my work, as a personal injury attorney, I all too often see the results of what happens when people celebrate by overindulging in alcohol and it seems that is all this holiday has become; an excuse for people to party themselves into oblivion.
Unfortunately, it is the aftermath of these good times that I usually get to see.
Impaired Driving Facts
Consider these Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and U.S. CDC:
- An average of 9,967 people die in drunk driving crashes each year. That is one every 53 minutes.
- 290,000 were injured in alcohol related auto accidents last year. That is one every 1.8 seconds.
- 31% of all fatal crashes involve alcohol.
- Drugs other than alcohol (marijuana, cocaine, XTC, etc.) are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths.
These numbers don’t paint a very pretty picture and the one it does, I believe well illustrates why I feel the way I do.
The Truth behind the Numbers
As sobering as the above facts can be, they don’t even come close to telling the true story of the human misery that lies behind these numbers. For every one of those deaths there is a family that will no longer have its mother, father, son, or daughter to kiss at night.
For every one of those injuries, there is a life that will be forever altered by both physical and emotional scars that may never really heal.
Think for a second, in the time that it will take you to read this short article, 10 lives will be forever changed.
Drunk Driving Anger Fuels My Passion
I apologize if the above sounds a little angry, but when you spend your life, as I have, trying to help people pick up the pieces, of lives that have been shattered by the senseless and selfish acts of others, it tends to get under your skin, after a while.
Accidents happen, people make mistakes, that is part of life. However, when people knowingly drink or do drugs, and of their own free will climb behind the wheel of a car, putting others people’s lives in danger, that is something to be angry about.
I can help the victims receive the care that they need. I can help them make monetary recoveries that will help assure their quality of life. These are jobs I perform with great pride, but I can never rebuild the lives they once had or bring back those that they have lost.
If you drink, don’t drive. If you or someone you care for has been the victim of a drunk or otherwise impaired driver, please come and see me. You will not find a personal injury attorney that fights harder and with more passion for these cases than I will.