Even though California spends millions of dollars on drunk driving education and campaigns to reduce impaired driving, thousands of accidents involving drunk driving are reported across the state every year. Unfortunately, these drunk driving accidents often have catastrophic consequences. In 2021, drunk driving contributed to nearly one-third of California’s reported car accident fatalities.
That year, 1,370 Californians lost their lives because of drunk drivers.
Statistically speaking, Sacramento is one of the worst in the nation when it comes to drunk driving. In fact, it ranks second in the nation and first in the state of California for DUIs.
When you’ve been injured in a Sacramento drunk driving accident, it’s imperative that you understand your legal rights. You’ll likely be entitled to compensation from the drunk driver and/or their insurance company. Working with an experienced Sacramento car accident lawyer can help you ensure a maximum recovery.
Singleton Schreiber is an award-winning personal injury law firm that’s home to some of the nation’s most celebrated civil litigators. Our clients work hand-in-hand with local attorneys and benefit from our law firm’s national resources. As fearless advocates, we’ve successfully recovered more than $3 Billion in jury verdicts and private settlements.
Call our Sacramento, California, law office to discuss the details of your drunk driving case. There’s no charge for your initial case evaluation.
How Often Do Drunk Driving Car Accidents Happen in Sacramento, CA?
According to California crash data, 3,572 car accidents were recorded in Sacramento in 2023. At least 390 of these accidents involved a driver under the influence of alcohol - meaning that drunk driving accidents represented more than 10 percent of all traffic accidents in the state’s capital that year.
If you break this data down, there’s at least one drunk driving-related car accident in Sacramento, California, every day.
That year, 61 people lost their lives in Sacramento car accidents. At least 20 of those fatalities resulted from accidents with drunk drivers.
Drunk driving accidents in Sacramento don’t just affect vehicle motorists and their passengers. People who bike and walk the city are also affected by drunk driving, too, especially at busy Sacramento intersections. In 2022, pedestrians and bicyclists were involved in 5.9 percent and 3.8 percent of all drunk driving accidents, respectively. Motorcyclists accounted for 4.1 percent of drunk driving accident victims, too.
What Types of Car Accidents Do Drunk Drivers in Sacramento Cause?
When a driver is under the influence of alcohol, it hampers their ability to think clearly, recognize and adapt to changes in traffic, and focus their attention on the road. All of these things contribute to the staggering number of car accidents that involve drunk drivers in Sacramento every year.
City crash data indicates that broadside collisions (26 percent of the total), rear-end collisions (24 percent of the total), and hit object accidents (22 percent of the total) are the types of car accidents most frequently caused by drunk drivers.
Broadside Collisions
Broadside accidents, or T-Bone car accidents, frequently occur when a driver is distracted or ignores a traffic signal and moves through an intersection improperly. If another vehicle is already in the intersection, the driver who ran the red light or stop sign can drive the front of their car directly into the side of this other vehicle.
If a driver is drunk, they might not recognize that a traffic signal has turned from yellow to red or that a stop sign has indicated they need to hit the brakes. Alternatively, alcohol might reduce a driver’s inhibitions and cause them to try to “beat” a red light by speeding through an intersection.
Rear-End Collisions
Drunk drivers can have a really difficult time paying attention when they’re behind the wheel. Alcohol might also make it difficult for them to see properly and gauge the distance between vehicles or calculate how much time and space they’ll need to brake to avoid a collision. All of these things can significantly increase the likelihood that a drunk driver causes a rear-end wreck.
Hit Object Accidents
It can be difficult to maintain a single lane of traffic when a driver is impaired by drugs or alcohol. In these situations, it’s not unusual for a drunk driver to strike a road barrier, clip a traffic cone, hit a curb, or even drive into a tree or a traffic sign.
Why Should I Hire a Car Accident Attorney After a Crash Involving a Drunk Driver in Sacramento?
You shouldn’t have to deal with the consequences of an accident with a drunk driver in Sacramento, California, on your own. You have enough to deal with right now as it is, especially if your injuries are catastrophic. Drunk driving car accident cases can be complicated, especially if the drunk driver faces related criminal DUI charges.
These related charges can alter the timeframe in which you recover compensation and add a lot of unnecessary stress during an already overwhelming time in your life.
What you need right now is an opportunity to focus on your health and getting back on your feet. Hiring Singleton Schreiber can give you the time and support you need to move forward.
Our Sacramento personal injury attorneys will take care of all aspects of your drunk driving car accident case:
- Review results of investigations conducted by the Sacramento Police Department and other investigative agencies
- Conduct an independent inquiry into your drunk driving accident
- Gather evidence that can help us build a winning legal claim for damages, including dashcam footage, toxicology reports, results of field sobriety tests, breathalyzer test results, witness statements, property damages, and medical records
- Hire expert witnesses to add additional strength to your personal injury case
- Force the drunk driver’s defense attorney and/or insurance carrier to make you a settlement offer that genuinely represents what your drunk driving accident case is worth
We’ll work hard to get you compensation for all of your crash-related damages, including medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you’re continually lowballed, we’ll reject those insulting settlement offers and take your lawsuit straight to trial.
There will be limited time to seek compensation after a Sacramento drunk driving accident. Contact our law office in Sacramento to discuss your case with our team for free today.
