Driver Impairment

Impaired drivers are among the leading causes of car accidents. While licensed New Hampshire drivers are obligated to drive in a safe manner at all times, there is no safe level of impairment, and drivers who drive while impaired inevitably put other people at risk. Drivers who cause injuries or property damage due to driving while impaired should be held responsible for the losses that they cause. If you suffered harm in a car accident that was caused by an impaired driver, you should consult an experienced New Hampshire car accident lawyer to help you pursue compensation. The skilled attorneys at Peter Thompson and Associates have more than 60 years of collective experience helping residents of New Hampshire injured by impaired drivers with the process of recovering damages.

Drivers can be impaired for many reasons, some of which are caused by intentional acts. For example, if a driver consumes alcohol or illegal drugs, it may slow their reaction time and affect their judgment to a point at which they cannot safely operate a motor vehicle. Drivers can also be impaired due to tiredness, which similarly can reduce the ability to respond appropriately to conditions encountered while driving. Drivers sometimes can be impaired due to conditions over which they have no control, such as inexperience in driving or physical impairments, such as poor eyesight. Additionally, as drivers age, they may lose their capability to drive safely.

Regardless of whether a driver is impaired due to deliberate acts or circumstances that they cannot change, they have a duty to operate their vehicle in a safe, reasonable manner. In the majority of lawsuits arising out of a car accident, the injured party will allege that the driver who caused the accident was negligent. In New Hampshire, to prove that an impaired driver should be held responsible for any harm that you sustained, you must show that they breached the duty imposed by New Hampshire law to drive in a safe and reasonable manner under the circumstances, the accident would not have occurred absent the breach, the breach was a substantial factor in causing the accident, and the accident caused you to sustain damages.

In some cases, there may be documentary evidence showing the driver’s impairment, such as a police report or medical records discussing the cause of the accident or indicating that the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. While some impairments are easily observable, others may not be apparent at the time of the accident. A knowledgeable car accident attorney will analyze the facts and information obtained via discovery to show that driver impairment caused the accident, and they can help you formulate a strong argument that the impaired driver should be held liable for your harm.

Car accidents caused by impaired drivers can be catastrophic and often result in grave harm and significant property damage. If you were injured in a car accident caused by an impaired driver, you may be able to recover the costs incurred due to your injuries, including the costs of past and future medical treatment, prescriptions, and adaptive devices. If you were unable to work due to your injuries, you may be able to recover damages for lost wages and loss of future earnings. If you were married at the time of the accident, your spouse may be able to recover damages as well. In addition to damages for your monetary losses, you may be able to recover compensation for pain and suffering, which often makes up a substantial amount of a damages award. Under New Hampshire law, a lawsuit alleging personal injuries caused by an accident must be filed within three years of the date when the accident occurred. If you are contemplating pursuing damages following a car accident caused by an impaired driver, you should consult an injury attorney as soon as possible to ensure that you do not waive your right to recovery.

A driver who operates a vehicle while impaired should be held accountable for any harm that results. At Peter Thompson and Associates, our attorneys are skilled at navigating the New Hampshire legal system and can work diligently to help you seek a favorable outcome. We are proud of our high success rate and record of substantial verdicts. We have offices in Bedford, Nashua, Portsmouth, and Manchester, New Hampshire, and we represent injured individuals throughout the state. Call 800.804.2004 or use our online form to set up a free appointment.