![2009 drunk drivers killed 2009 drunk drivers killed](https://www.wafb.com/resizer/loLcQmRDEcZEm4NZx64FcE7aUoY=/1400x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-raycom.s3.amazonaws.com/public/L5526TSNWREMNE3XBK5B7FILSI.jpg)
Criminal cases require prosecutors to meet higher burdens of proof than plaintiffs in civil lawsuits. It is a good idea for people to file lawsuits against drunk drivers even though they may have criminal charges pending against them for a couple of reasons. Since these types of cases fall under two different bodies of law, they can be filed and proceed simultaneously. This is allowed because civil personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits fall under the civil law while criminal cases fall under criminal law. Civil lawsuits may be filed against drunk drivers even when criminal cases are pending against them. Legal rights to pursue claims against drunk driversĬalifornia allows people who have been seriously injured by drunk drivers or who have lost loved ones to file civil lawsuits against the people who caused their accidents and losses. People who are seriously injured in collisions with drunk drivers and the families of people who are killed might hold the drivers accountable for their actions and recover damages by filing civil lawsuits against them. Unfortunately, when people choose to drive after drinking, they can cause accidents that injure or kill others. These statistics demonstrate that while improvements have occurred, more needs to be done to prevent drunk driving. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 10,327 people were killed in drunk driving accidents in California from 2003 to 2012, which was a fatality rate of 2 people per 100,000 residents. This means that nearly a third of the traffic deaths in the U.S. Out of these fatal crashes, 10,511 were alcohol-related.
![2009 drunk drivers killed 2009 drunk drivers killed](https://www.nydailynews.com/resizer/tUu4xjeUjX3NrUhlfacGZU-LWbU=/1200x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tronc.s3.amazonaws.com/public/EYEPYUH7WPI2KJO2ULBRBPCTWQ.jpg)
The Insurance Information Institute reports that 36,560 people were killed in traffic accidents in the U.S. Out of all of the fatal traffic accidents in Los Angeles County, Insurify found that 26% were drunk driving accidents. Drunk driving accidents also account for a sizeable percentage of the fatal traffic accidents that happen in the county. Among adults in Los Angeles County, 17% reported that they drink excessively. While this is a substantial improvement, Los Angeles still ranked number 16 among the cities with the greatest number of DUI arrests in the U.S.Ī study by Insurify found that Los Angeles has a drunk driving rate that is 8% higher than the national average. By contrast, the total number of DUI arrests in 2009 was 9,020. In 2018, the total number of DUI arrests in the city was 4,755. Los Angeles has experienced a steady decline in the number of drunk driving arrests since 2009. In Los Angeles, there was an average of 1,804 drunk driving arrests per 100,000 people each year during the 10 years. Drunk driving accident and arrest statisticsĪ review of statistical data by Smart Advocate from 2009 to 2018 compared drunk driving arrests in large cities across the U.S. When people are seriously injured or killed in drunk driving accidents in Los Angeles, the victims and their family members may be entitled to recover damages by filing personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits. Unfortunately, this does not deter some people from driving drunk. People who choose to get behind the wheel when they are intoxicated place themselves and others at risk. When people go out for drinks, they sometimes wrongly believe that they are okay to drive instead of calling cabs or ride-shares to get home safely. Despite decades of educational campaigns and enforcement efforts, drunk driving continues to be a problem in California and across the U.S.