It’s no secret that many teenagers drink alcohol in spite of the fact that it’s against the law. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol is the drug most commonly used and abused among youth in the United States, and a recent study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry indicates 78 percent of young people have consumed alcohol by late adolescence.
Unfortunately, the years that kids often start experimenting with alcohol often coincide with the time in their life that they and their friends start driving. Ominously, 85 percent of teenagers who report drinking and driving in the past month also say they binge drink, meaning there’s a good chance that teens who drink and drive are driving drunk.
Drunk Teenage Drivers Put Everyone at Risk
Drunk driving is bad enough when you’re an experienced driver. Teenagers are inexperienced with both driving and drinking, making alcohol, teenagers, and cars a particularly dangerous combination. A teenager may not recognize when he or she is impaired and get behind the wheel anyway. In addition, because they're not as familiar with the rules of the road and driving generally, the fact that they are impaired may make them even more dangerous than an impaired adult driver. Some of the ways that alcohol can impair a teenager's ability to drive include the following:
- Slowed reaction time
- Problems with depth perception
- Confusion
- Impaired peripheral vision
- Reduced level of awareness of surroundings
Protecting Your Rights after a Drunk Driving Accident
If you are involved in an accident with a teenager that you think may be under the influence, it is critical that you take steps to protect your rights.
- Make sure the police respond to the scene of the accident. If the police also think that the teenager may be drunk, they will perform sobriety testing that will produce evidence of the teenager’s impairment (or lack thereof). Evidence that the other driver was impaired can make it much easier to recover compensation in cases where fault is unclear.
- Undergo a full medical evaluation as soon as you can after your accident. Even if you think you'll be fine without treatment, it is important that a medical professional document your injuries in order to establish damages.
- Do not expect the police to do your job for you. The criminal cases associated with a drunk driving accident is completely different from any civil (or insurance) claim that you may make to recover compensation for your losses.
- Call a lawyer as soon as you can, even if the insurance company has made a settlement offer. A personal injury attorney will ensure that you receive the full value of your claim.
Were You Injured in an Accident Caused by a Drunk Teenage Driver? Call Us Today to Schedule a Free Consultation with a Connecticut Personal Injury Attorney
While it is illegal for people under 21 to drink, drunk teenaged drivers seriously injure thousands of people each year. If you have sustained injuries in an accident caused by a drunk driver, you should talk to a lawyer as soon as you can. Connecticut law may entitle you to compensation for your losses, including your property damage, lost income, lost quality of life, medical expenses, and physical and emotional pain and suffering. To schedule a consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Connecticut, call Leighton, Katz, and Drapeau today at 860-875-7000 or contact us online.
