According to NHTSA, almost 30 people die every day because of drunk driving accidents. That is one person every 48 minutes. Even though that figure constitutes a third of what it was three decades ago, that still comes up to 10,000 lives and $44 billion in death and damages per year.

If you or a family member has been injured in a drunk driving accident, our Nashville DUI lawyer should be your first option. We are committed to getting DUI victims like you to receive compensation for their injuries and property damage suffered while holding those liable accountable for their negligence. We will help you get your life back on track after an incident.

What Is Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) And What Is The Legal Limit?

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) refers to the percent of alcohol in a person’s bloodstream. It is most commonly used as a measure of alcohol intoxication for medical or legal purposes. For example, a BAC of .10% means that a person’s blood supply contains 1 part alcohol for every 1,000 parts of blood. 

When a person has a BAC level of .08%, muscle coordination like balance, speech, vision, and hearing are affected; reaction time, judgment, self-control, reasoning, and memory are impaired; and concentration, speed control, and information processing capability is reduced.

At a BAC level of .10%, there is a clear deterioration of reaction time and control, speech is slurred, coordination and thinking are slowed down, and the ability to maintain lane position and brake appropriately is significantly reduced. These conditions, when coupled with an unusually high dose of stubbornness commonly seen in people who get drunk will almost always lead to accidents that can affect not only the drunk driver but others on the road, as well.

The legal limit for BAC determines whether it is legal for a person to drive. In Tennessee, a person is considered drunk if he/she has a BAC level of .08%. The state has mandatory jail time of a minimum of 48 hours for first-time offenders. A BAC of .20% or higher, however, carries minimum jail time of 7 days up to a maximum of 11 months and 29 days and a $350-$1,000 fine. 

Tennessee has a zero-tolerance policy for minors or those under 21 years of age who are caught drunk driving. They can have their license revoked for a year, fined $250 and could be required to complete community service.

How Will Your Case Be Established To Ensure Success?

To ensure success in the pursuit of your DUI injury case, our Nashville DUI lawyer will begin by thoroughly investigating all surrounding facts and establish all possible liable parties. We will examine every aspect of your accident so that the scope and extent of your injuries and damages are fully documented. We will work hard to gather police reports, arrest records, field tests, and biological test reports of the drunk driver to prove that he/she was over the legal limit at the time of the accident. 

Since drunk driving is illegal in Tennessee, the police may file charges against the drunk driver and pursue a criminal prosecution. If the drunk driver is convicted criminally, that conviction can be used to determine liability in your separate civil personal injury lawsuit. This is because a criminal conviction is unlikely to provide financial compensation to you and can only strengthen, albeit decidedly, all civil proceedings against the drunk driver. 

What Other Factors Can Affect Your Personal Injury Case?

The behavior of the insurance company is a very crucial factor in the success of your case. Most of them will reach out to you and try to settle your accident claim before going to court. Since they generally do not like losing money, insurance companies will do their best to get you to settle for considerably less than what you deserve. We are here to make sure that doesn’t happen to you. We will fight to protect your right to just and equitable compensation.

Consequently, if the drunk driver who hit you is uninsured, we will file a claim with your own insurance provider under your uninsured motorist coverage, if you have it. They can pay at least part of your accident claim, although you can be sure that they will do all they can to avoid doing this. We will work diligently with your insurance company to negotiate the maximum possible compensation under your policy.

Why Work With Us?

Our team has extensive experience in drunk driving accidents, car and truck accidents, and other acts of negligence. You will never have to face the drunk driver or the insurance company alone. We will guide you through step by step in pursuing your claim while, at the same time, advising you of potential problems and keeping you up-to-date on the progress of your case. You will never have to guess what comes next because we are always available to answer your questions. We move quickly and precisely to defend you and protect your rights so you can concentrate on recovering from your injuries

We promise experience, compassion, and the conviction to win for your ultimate benefit and satisfaction. We care about you!