Pertinent Facts About DUI Car Accidents When people drive under the influence of an intoxicant such as alcohol, it is never a wise idea. All Arizona drivers understand this is an illegal action and that the courts throughout the state will issue stiff penalties to the drivers who are convicted of this infraction. Tragically, these penalties are not enough of a deterrent to keep drivers from operating a vehicle after they intoxicate themselves in some manner. They place their own bodies in danger on top of those around them. In the following information, you will learn certain statistics about DUI in Arizona along with damages that one may seek when he or she has suffered an injury at the hands of an intoxicated, Arizona driver. In addition, …show more content…
Sadly, intoxicated drivers kill about 300 individuals each year in Arizona and injure another 15,000 unlucky souls with their illegal actions. Available Damages for Victims of DUI Accidents A person who is arrested on DUI charges that result in death or injury of another, he or she typically faces one of two legal issues. The death of another under these circumstances leads to the police and prosecutors pursuing the conviction of the guilty party on serious criminal charges in court, such as vehicular manslaughter. If others just suffer injuries instead of fatalities, the DUI driver will likely need to pay substantial fines or spend time in jail depending upon the circumstances of the accident. Cases for civil suits to gain adequate compensation that the injured parties file are often strengthened when the driver is convicted first in criminal court of DUI or related charges. For this reason and others, the burden of proof is higher with cases in criminal court than with ones in civil court since the criminal defendant 's case must be proven beyond all doubt. When this results in a guilty verdict, it presents believable evidence that the defendant was indeed negligent when injured parties file a civil …show more content…
Learn further information on some of the damages of which we speak. Damages for Compensatory Purposes Usually, compensatory damages always are available in all personal injury cases. The purpose for these damages is to compensate plaintiffs for their injuries. For example, all of the costs that the plaintiff incurs such as the cost of medication, medical treatments and ongoing medical care on top of other financial suffering or lost income, which is the result of the defendant 's negligent actions, are recoverable by the plaintiff. The court also may award damages to the plaintiff for suffering and pain to compensate for a lower quality of life that the plaintiff now faces. Damages of a Punitive Nature Certain civil cases that involve personal injury claims permit the court to award punitive damages since driving intoxicated is such a reckless action, especially when the defendant had an extremely high blood-alcohol content or BAC. The purpose of punitive damages is to punish a defendant and to offer compensation to the plaintiff who suffered due to the defendant 's unlawful