Top 10 Things You Should Do Right After Encountering A Drunk Driving Accident

Every state has its own rules when it comes to drunk driving. For North Carolina, the law states that everyone aged 21 years or older that has a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher is considered to be drunk. In most states, the required blood alcohol concentration could either be higher or lower in percentage.

With this amount of blood alcohol concentration, drivers will usually start to exhibit the following:

• poor muscle coordination
• slower reaction time
• slurred speech
• loss of acuity in vision and hearing
• loss of balance
• difficulty in detecting danger
• impaired judgment
• decrease in self-control
• impaired reasoning
• slower memory

These are the possible reasons why someone under the influence of alcohol and who is driving at the same time could endanger his or her life and others, as well.

You can practice safety precautions when you are driving. However, other drivers’ actions when they are on the road is beyond your control. There is a large chance that you might be on the receiving end of a drunk driving accident. But you should not worry about that! As long as you know that it is not your fault, you can file a legal claim against the driver for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). But if worse comes to worst, you can call on drunk driving attorneys to seek legal advice and representation. Let’s take a look at what are the top things that you should do first if you happen to be in a DUI-related accident.

Always Call For Emergency Services

There will be some instances wherein you will really need to call on medical services for help. This usually happens when the wreck is so severe to the point that you have sustained serious injuries. Calling for medical assistance is also be important if you are not the only party involved in the case. If you have crashed into another car that was driven by a possibly intoxicated person or the accident caused to hit a pedestrian, you should immediately call in an ambulance to report the injuries and to resolve the problem as soon as possible. 

Remember that when it comes to injuries, time is of utmost importance. You do not have to see the presence of blood just to consider it as a medical emergency. There are some cases where internal bleeding or hemorrhage are formed right after an accident. So, just to be sure, and to avoid further incriminating and heavier legal cases, call an ambulance right away. 

Report The Accident Right Away

Since this is also a case to case basis depending on which state the accident had happened, it is crucial that you are familiar with the state’s law. For North Carolina, the law requires that the driver of the vehicle who is involved in a serious accident should immediately notify law enforcement.

Avoid Making Any Statements To Police Officers

Since you have notified law enforcement about the situation, expect that they will be on the scene as soon as possible. First, they will assess the situation. If you still have not called for medical services and the police see the need to do so, then they will do it themselves. They will take pictures of the scene and look for possible pieces of evidence of who’s at fault. If you are still conscious, they are going to ask you some questions. However, it is best that you avoid making any statements, may it be oral or written, to police officers. You might be intimidated to give a statement but always remember that you are not required to. You have the right to call on a drunk driving accident attorney in North Carolina to deal with the questioning.

Get The Names And Contact Informations Of Potential Witnesses

Police may not be able to arrive at the scene just in time to catch the eyewitnesses of the accident. If you can do it yourself, then do it by all means. Get the names, phone numbers, and addresses of the people that are currently around the area as they could be treated as possible witnesses when a DUI case is pushed through

Take Pictures

Just in case the police and other field investigators could not respond to the situation as early as possible, you should take pictures. A simple photo taken using your phone’s camera would suffice. Take pictures of the vehicle, its situation, and the accident scene. You can hand these pictures over to your lawyer to help in the analysis of the case. It could also be treated as evidence when your case goes into court.

Write Down Your Own Version Of What Happened

Since accidents happen really fast, and your reaction time might be affected, it will be helpful if you immediately take note of what had happened. This shall be your version of the story as there could be a lot of other factors. Take note of the time and date you have written down the details. The sooner you have a written recount of the version of your story, the better it will be for the case. Just make sure that you tell everything that has happened and talk to your lawyer about it.

Do Not Leave The Scene

Whatever happens, even if you are not heavily injured after the accident, do not leave the scene. Wait until the paramedics and the law enforcement arrive so they would know how to deal with the situation properly. They will also have to know who are the people involved and get a background of what had happened, at the least.

When Worse Comes To Worst, Call A Drunk Driving Accident Attorney

No one would want an accident to happen, especially when one is intoxicated. However, you cannot exactly control how other drivers would be when they are on the road. If worse comes to worst, you should call a North Carolina car accident attorney right away. Also, keep in mind to do the things listed above, and you will be good enough to deal with the situation. Handoff everything to your lawyer and they will be the ones to handle the legal situation.