In 2022, over 160,000 people were injured in accidents involving large trucks, and only 26 percent of the people injured were truck occupants. That means that nonoccupants and occupants of other vehicles make up nearly three-fourths of the injuries that occur in truck accidents. Of the more than 5,800 people killed in truck accidents that year, over 4,800 were pedestrians, bicyclists, or occupants of other vehicles.
If you are among the many people injured by drunk driving truck accidents in Connecticut, you need experienced legal representation to help you navigate these complex injury claims. Contact the truck accident lawyers at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, today to schedule a free consultation. Our extensive experience with truck accidents and drunk driving accidents makes us well-qualified to fight for your financial recovery after such a catastrophic accident.
Connecticut has a higher-than-average number of fatal crashes involving impaired drivers, and an average of 100 people die each year in the state due to motorists driving under the influence of alcohol.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s data on fatal alcohol-involved accidents shows that large trucks were involved in 163 fatal traffic crashes involving alcohol across the country in 2022, which was a 12 percent increase from the prior year.
Drunk driving accidents involving large commercial trucks are not as common as collisions involving drunk drivers in other types of vehicles, but the large size and potential for severe or fatal injuries caused by trucks make them especially dangerous. When drivers disregard the safety of pedestrians and other motorists by driving drunk, they should be held liable for the extensive harm they cause.
For most drivers in Connecticut, the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08 percent. However, commercial truck drivers who are operating their rigs have a lower BAC limit. Truck drivers must have a BAC of .04 percent or lower in order to be within the legal limit.
How does the driver’s BAC affect your truck accident claim? Negligence is a key element of an accident case, and if the truck driver’s BAC was over the legal limit, it is helpful to establish negligence and liability. The amount of compensation injured accident victims receive is affected by numerous factors, one of which is liability and fault. Connecticut’s system of modified comparative fault states that an injured plaintiff’s financial award will be reduced by their share of fault for the accident, if any. An elevated BAC is convincing evidence to establish the truck driver was at fault, which can maximize the amount of compensation you receive for your damages and deflect any blame that the truck driver may want to place on you.
If you’ve been injured by a drunk truck driver, contact the attorneys at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC. We will fight tirelessly to ensure you have the best chance at recovering compensation for your injuries and losses after a drunk driving truck accident in Connecticut. Schedule your free in-person or virtual consultation with us today.