If you are hurt or a loved one is killed by a driver who is impaired by alcohol or drugs, it is imperative that the victim or his family contact a Colorado Springs car accident lawyer. Victims of impaired driving collisions have the right to pursue a claim for compensation from those who were responsible for hurting them by causing a car accident.
While many people are aware that alcohol consumption before driving is illegal and can result in a drunk driving accident, most motorists don’t really realize that it’s not just alcohol or illegal drugs that could increase a crash risk and that could lead to criminal and civil consequences if an accident happens. Even taking legal drugs could still lead to impaired driving charges and to a lawsuit for accident compensation if a driver was negligent and broke the law by choosing to drive while too impaired to be safe.
In fact, in one recent article, medical experts warn that drugged driving accidents are frequently caused by people who’ve taken allergy medications to cope with summer allergies.
Allergy Medications Could Result in Impaired Driving Claims
Summer is a prime time for allergies, which means many people take medications to help manage their symptoms. Unfortunately, many allergy medications have a sedating effect that can make safe driving difficult or impossible.
Motorists who have taken allergy medications could experience a variety of side-effects, including blurry eyes that impact their vision and delayed reaction times due to the sedating effects of the drug. Drivers who have symptoms associated with medication use that render them unsafe to drive could be considered in violation of impaired driving laws that prohibit intoxicated motorists from getting behind the wheel if they choose to operate their cars while under the influence of allergy medications.
Whether a motorist faces legal consequences for choosing to drive after using allergy medications will vary depending upon the circumstances. If police believe the motorist was unlawfully impaired in violation of intoxicated driving laws, the motorist could face potential imprisonment and the possible loss of a driver’s license. If the motorist caused a crash, victims should be able to successfully pursue a case to recover full and fair compensation for all injuries resulting from the accident.
A civil case brought by victims to obtain monetary damages for crash losses is separate and distinct from any criminal proceeding. Victims can obtain compensation simply by successfully proving their crash was directly caused by the actions of a driver who made a dangerous choice to drive after taking medication that was impairing. The standard of proof is also reduced compared with criminal cases, as civil lawsuits require plaintiffs to show that more likely than not, the defendant should be held accountable whereas criminal drunk driving cases require proof beyond a reasonable doubt before a defendant can be found guilty.
A Colorado Springs car accident lawyer can provide help to those hurt by unsafe drivers, including to victims of crashes caused by motorists making the dangerous choice to drive after taking legal or illegal narcotics. To find out more about how our firm can help you to pursue a claim for compensation from the driver who hurt you or caused your loved one to lose his life, give us a call today.
