Personal Injury Law

Drug Related DUIs On The Rise In Georgia

By M. Brandon Smith

Drug Related DUIs On The Rise In Georgia

DUI accidents aren't just caused by Jim Beam, Tom Collins, or Stella Artois; they are also caused by Mary Jane, Rocky, Pharming, and other similar offenders. TransWorldNews reports that drug users and abusers aren't just making themselves high, but they are raising the number of DUI-drug related fatalities. While statistics seem to show a decline in drunk driving, driving under the influence of drugs continues to rise in Georgia.

According to Mary Riser, the executive director of The Atlanta Recovery Center , DUI's can be the product of taking prescriptions meds and/or illegal drugs. Doing these drugs in the first place is stupid, but driving with them in your system is even more unbelievable. Drugs impair both judgment and motor skills. In just 2006 alone an estimated 13.3% of people 12 and older were reported to have driven while drugged or intoxicated on at least one occasion. Other studies have determined that between 4 and 14% of drivers that were injured or died from car accidents tested positive for marijuana. Not only does every driver on the road have to be worried about drunk drivers, now they must also be concerned about drugged drivers. Georgia DUI Lawyers may have their plates full in light of the growing statistics and current prescription drug trends. Based on these statistics, it seems clear the number of Georgia DUI Accidents will only increase in the months and years ahead.

One study looking at motor-vehicle crash victims found that approximately 34% of the victims admitted to a trauma center tested positive for drugs alone, while 16% tested positive for only alcohol. About 10% of these victims tested positive for both alcohol AND drugs, with 50% being younger than 18-years old. The relationship between driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol with age is astonishing. Looking at drivers between the ages of 16 and 22, the numbers steadily increase with age, reaching a peak of 31.8% at age 22. After age 22 rates numbers decline. The threat of DUI accidents caused by young adults becomes even more apparent when you look at how much alcohol and drug abuse occurs on school campuses across the county.

To deter those who drive under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or both, punitive damages should be sought in addition to compensatory damages. Punitive damages are another way to take the offender over the knee of the law. They are used to punish highly reckless conduct and prevent the offender from doing it again. Under Georgia law, victims of a Georgia DUI accident can sue for punitive damages. This is important because punitive damages cannot be viabily sought against a sober driver who was only negligent. No one should be permitted to drive while under the influence of drugs and needlessly endanger the lives of others. This mood of thought is why it is critical to 'punish' offenders through the imposition of punitive damages. Georgia DUI drivers must be addressed and be held accountable for their careless actions. Our Georgia DUI accident lawyers can help you seek punitive damages if you have been injured by a drunk or drugged driver. Click here to read more about your rights if you've been injured by a Georgia drunk driver.

Stories of DUI accidents and DUI injuries are all to constant. Just recently, Cleaveland Brown's receiver Donte' Stallworth was sentenced after his DUI and Plea, while another example DUI misfortune occurred where Speed and Alcohol led to a fatal accident in Graham, NC. The legal system makes an effort to reduce these accidents, e.g Minnesota DUI Courts are doing their best to Save Lives, but unfortunately, it seems DUI accident injuries cannot be eliminated from the news. To learn more, check out Drunk Driving and DUI Accidents-The Real Consequences.

Full post as published by Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer on July 15, 2009 (boomark / email).