DUI & DWI Crashes in Maryland

Car crash fatalities have declined in recent years, on a national level as well as here in Maryland. However alcohol-impaired driving remains a serious problem on our highways, back roads, and city streets. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drunk driving accounts for one-third of all car crash fatalities in the country. Of the 33,808 traffic accident deaths in 2009 in the U.S. -- 10,839 were due to alcohol-impaired driving.

Some other sobering statistics from Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD):

• Every minute, one person is injured from an alcohol-related crash.
• One in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetime.
• An average drunk driver has driven drunk 87 times before the first arrest.
• 50 to 75% of convicted drunk drivers continue to drive on a suspended license.

In fact, statistics show that drunk driving related car accident deaths have actually increased in the state of Maryland.

Of the 547 traffic crash deaths in Maryland in 2009, nearly one-third were caused by alcohol-impaired driving. While drunk driving fatalities in Md. had been declining since 2006 (when 189 people died due to alcohol-impaired drivers) -- to a low of 145 fatalities in 2008 -- the following year, 2009, saw deaths due to drunk driving increase to 162 fatalities. (Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts Maryland 2005 - 2009.)

Maryland Drunk Driving Cases : Damages and Compensation

As experienced personal injury litigators, we know that statistics tell only part of the story. In our work with grieving families and injured citizens, we see first-hand the human toll that results from drunk driving motor vehicle crashes in Md. Lives are changed forever, as victims struggle to recover from serious injuries and cope with the loss of loved ones.

Drunk driving car crash victims suffer physical and emotional pain. In addition, families often endure financial hardship, when a wage earner is killed or an accident victim can't work due to their injuries caused by the drunk driving traffic accidents in Maryland.

Sometimes drunk driving cases dovetail with Workers Compensation or work-related injury cases in Md. (for example, if the car accident occurred while the victim was driving or otherwise working as part of their employment). In these circumstances, it is absolutely essential that the victim or his or her family retain counsel with knowledge in both Maryland Workers’ Compensation and personal injury litigation.

On top of all of this are the legal aspects of a drunk driving car crash case. Driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of even .02 can be a crime in Maryland. Drunk driving car crash cases are criminally prosecuted in the Maryland District Courts system. However drunk driving crash victims must usually pursue compensation and damages in a civil case in the Maryland Circuit Courts.

To victims who've already suffered physical and emotional pain, the idea of dealing with the Maryland courts system can seem confusing and overwhelming. What's more, defense attorneys representing the driver charged with operating under the influence of alcohol (Maryland DUI or DWI) in the case will aggressively defend their client, to the fullest extent of the law.

This is where a compassionate and knowledgeable Maryland drunk driving injury attorney can be your best ally. Your personal injury lawyer will serve as a liaison between the Maryland state's attorney prosecuting the drunk driving case in criminal court -- and your civil case in the Circuit Courts where your attorney pursues compensation and damages on your behalf. It's absolutely imperative to contact an experienced Md. DUI / DWI injury lawyer right away, as the accused driver's lawyers will be working hard to represent their client.

How a Maryland Injury Attorney Assists Victims of Drunk Driving Crashes

Pursuing compensation and damages in a Maryland drunk driving car crash case is something an accident victim should not try to handle themselves. An experienced Baltimore County injury attorney will handle the legal aspects for you -- to make sure you recover the compensation you are entitled to by law.

Here at The Law Offices of Butschky, Ehlers, and Butschky, we have over two decades of experience fighting on behalf of drunk-driving and other car accident victims in the state of Maryland. We know the Maryland courts system and the insurance companies inside and out -- and we bring that experience and our commitment to helping clients to every case we take.

We are based in Sparks, Md., convenient to clients in Hunt Valley and other communities in Baltimore County. We also have a branch office for clients in Baltimore City. Please contact us today for a free consultation regarding your drunk driving car crash case in Baltimore County, Harford County, and Carroll County, Maryland. Call toll-free: (800) 722-6616.