Recently, researchers from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health collected data from six states that perform toxicology tests on drivers involved in fatal car accidents. Information gathered from California, Hawaii, Illinois, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and West Virginia on over 23,500 drivers who died within one hour of a crash between 1999 and 2010 showed that fatal car crashes involving pot use have tripled in the U.S. During the same time period, alcohol contributed to forty percent of traffic fatalities.
Researchers concluded that drugged driving accounted for 28 percent of traffic deaths in 2010, which is a sixteen percent increase over 1999. They also discovered that marijuana was the primary drug involved in the increase. Marijuana contributed to only 4 percent of fatal crashes in 1999, compared to 12 percent in 2010. The study concluded that increase in marijuana use was consistent across gender and age groups. Marijuana impairs driving similar to the way alcohol use does.
The study determined that driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol simultaneously has increased. When a driver is under the influence of both alcohol and marijuana, they increase their risk of being involved in a fatal car crash to 24 times that of a sober person.
With the legalization of marijuana in Washington and other states across the country, these shocking statistics have become a wake-up call for highway safety officials.
How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help
Every year, many lives are shattered by the unconscionable actions of other drivers, such as driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. As Seattle personal injury attorneys, we know that drugged driving is a relative plague on our state highways and city streets. We know that a wrongful death lawsuit can never bring back someone lost in a drugged driving traffic accident, but as legal experts in this area, we can help gain compensation for those families who have lost a loved one to senseless drugged driving wrecks.
Damages in a wrongful death lawsuit can be greatly contested; however, we know the best way to fight for the recovery of both tangible and intangible losses. As skilled professionals in the field of personal injury, we have the tools and experience to ensure that past, current, and future medical expenses will be covered for victims of impaired driving. Contact our office today to discuss your case.
Contact Seattle Car Accident Attorneys
The experienced personal injury lawyers at Phillips Law Firm are ready to help. If you are interested in learning more about your legal options, call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our Seattle personal injury lawsuit attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. If we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.
