Should We Call Them “Accidents” if the Driver was Drinking?

Do you tell your friends that you had a drunk driving accident? Doesn’t that make it sound like you were the one behind the wheel? It does because usually the one at-fault is the only person who stands to benefit from calling any part of the situation an accident. So what should everyone else call it, and why does the media refer to every collision as an accident? If a driver was drinking and decided to get behind the wheel, that’s a choice that they made. Then through that choice, they were too impaired to properly operate the vehicle, and it led them to crash into you. No part of that was an accident.

If you’ve been injured by a drunk driver, an auto wreck attorney in Virginia Beach can help.

Should We Change the Way We Speak?

Accidents, crashes, collisions, and wrecks all seem to pop up, but which word is “right?” In a time when everyone is worried about saying the wrong thing, we’ve ignored a huge element of our speech in regard to victims and ongoing safety.

First, accident is the term that most people use in common speak. Civilians, drivers, and media use this term most frequently. Second, crash is the word of choice for first responders and police officers. They actively avoid the word accident, because it implies that neither party was responsible. Then when it comes to collisions and wrecks, you’re looking at mechanic or engineer talk. They refer to the action or the aftermath rather than the fault factor.

So should we change the way we speak? It’s up to you, but most “accidents” simply aren’t accidents. If a driver is going down a residential area at 60 mph and hits a child playing outside, the crash wasn’t intentional, but it surely wasn’t an accident. The same applies to drunk driving. Yes, the crash itself wasn’t the intent of the person when they chose to drink and drive. But, the fact remains is that they didn’t get into their vehicle intoxicated on accident.

MADD or Mothers Against Drunk Driving was one of the first organizations to bring up the issue of framing a drunk driving crash as an accident.

First-Time or Low-Blow Offenders

What if the person barely blew a .08? Well, it’s still drinking and driving, and they could have called an Uber or toted along a DD. The result for a low-blow or a first-time offender is still the same. The crash still happened; that person will still face a DUI charge.

Repeat Drunk Drivers and High-Risk of Repeat Offense

Repeat offenders, of course as seen as a bigger nuisance than the first-timers. Often people see that a one-time offense is someone who learned their lesson, so what about the people who offend again? Virginia is not extraordinarily heavy-handed with their first-offense, and often people think that it was just unlucky that they got caught. So now that they’re in another crash, it’s clear that there wasn’t an “accident” involved.

Should You Involve a Virginia Beach Car Accident Lawyer if the Other Driver was Drinking?

Absolutely involve an attorney. Anyone who was hurt or hit by a drunk driver needs to have a legal guide. Not only will they have no involvement in the criminal trial, but it’s likely that nothing will happen with the insurance side unless you take action. The focus, especially through using words such as “accident,” lead to the victims getting shorted.

Instead, take action and file a claim or formal lawsuit against the driver. It is possible to pursue punitive damages and damages for your total losses through the court system. As you do this, you’ll have the chance to get some type of compensation for the damage you experienced. But you might also have the chance to bring forward the extent of that person’s choices and that your crash wasn’t an accident at all.

Finding Your Auto Accident Lawyer in Virginia Beach

When you work with our Virginia Beach auto wreck law firm, you’ll have a reliable team to handle your case. If a driver was drinking and hits your family in a vehicle, it’s reasonable to want to stand up for yourself. We know that you need compensation, you need support, and we can help.

Contact Virginia Injury Law of Virginia Beach to initiate your claim with the insurance companies involved and decide if it’s best to move forward to a court or handle the compensation through settlements. We will always listen to what you think is best and take our direction from you in handling your case.