Being hit by a drunk driver is a nightmare most people hope to never experience, but according to the Center for Disease Control, one person in the United States is killed every 48 minutes in a drunk driver accident. Despite the attempts of groups like MADD to help stem the problem, this is an increase from just two years ago when the average was roughly every 51 minutes. Unfortunately, Tennessee has also seen a rise in impaired driving. There were 284 fatalities in Tennessee during 2010, but 2011 and 2012 saw a rise in the number of arrests for driving under the influence. While most accident reports focus on drunk driving fatalities, there are a significant number of people who are seriously injured in these types of accidents. According to Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Tennessee is ranked 11th nationally as states with the worst record for drunk driver accidents.
Medical Help
Because the costs may exceed what is covered by insurance, there are several funds available to help you recover from this life changing event.
The Tennessee Department of Treasury has set aside funds to help victims of criminal actions, including drunk driver accidents. The funds are only available for a specified amount of time following the incident. For more information, review the information on the Tennessee Department of Treasury website to review the and to obtain the forms.
The National Association of Crime Victims also provides funds to help cover the steep medical costs. It provides nearly $500 million dollars a year for a number of different crimes. Some of the fund is covered by government grants, but the majority of the funds are from fines and assessments of the perpetrators. Because it draws from the offenders, the National Association of Crime Victims provides an additional level of justice to the victims.
Getting a Drunk Driver Accidents Attorney to Help You
Understanding the legal ramifications as the victim of a drunk driver can be a complicated and lengthy process. Families of loved ones killed by a drunk driver are too engulfed in grief and survivors may need to focus on recovering to spend the required time seeking legal help.
If you are a survivor of this type of incident, make sure to gather the following information as soon as possible.
- The police report documenting the accident.
- MADD can provide initial information to help you get oriented while you try to pull together your resources.
- Tennessee Attorney Group can offer you advice and help you start seeking compensation for lost time at work, medical coverage, or wrongful death claims.
If you are interested in helping to reduce the number of drunk driver accidents, you can volunteer to appear as part of the Victim Impact Panels, a program designed by MADD. You will present your story to offenders to provide a more vivid picture of the way their actions have negatively impacted your life. This is a volunteer effort, but you will help provide a much more memorable story than the offenders will encounter in courts or other programs, so that your contribution can help prevent further tragedy.
