Labor Day is notorious for drunk driving accidents in Florida. It is illegal to operate a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Yet, innocent victims are still injured and tragically killed by drunk drivers, even more so during the Labor Day weekend.

"Drunk-driving accidents continue to occur in Southwest Florida,” said Fort Myers DUI Accident Lawyer Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. “The results of a driver’s poor judgment in drinking and driving are devastating to others who are sharing the roads with him or her. The following National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics are overwhelming.”

• One alcohol-related death occurs every 52 minutes in the U.S.
• Drunk driving accidents are responsible for 10,000 deaths every year, and about 1/3 of all traffic-related deaths.
• In a recent year, more than 230 children were killed in drunk-driving crashes.
• Drinking and driving costs more than $44 billion in deaths and damages annually.
• At the end of 2020, 26.8 percent of drivers who were killed or seriously injured in a crash had alcohol in their bloodstream.
• In 2020, the number of fatal accidents involving alcohol was up 9 percent compared to 2019, even though drivers traveled 13 percent fewer miles overall.
• Drunk driving accidents are statistically most likely to occur during the months of June, July and August.
• About 68 percent of alcohol-related fatalities happen at night and 32 percent happen during the daytime.

Have a Plan

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) wants drivers to have a plan before partying and consuming alcohol because drunk driving is still the No. 1 cause of death on our roadways. 

The University of Missouri Health Care organization says, “When social plans involve alcohol, consider doing the following:

• Identify a designated driver for your group.
• Do not let friends drive after drinking. Take their keys.
• If you have been drinking, get a ride home from a friend who has not been drinking or call a taxi.
• If you host a party with alcohol, offer alcohol-free beverages and remind guests to designate a sober driver.
• As a parent or caregiver, talk to your teens about the dangers of drinking and driving. Ask them to sign a pledge promising to not drink and drive.
• If you suspect a drunk driver is on the road, call the police and provide the location, direction the vehicle is headed, the vehicle’s make, model, color and license plate number if you can do so without harming yourself.

Our Fort Myers DUI accident lawyers have the experience to assist victims of drunk driving accidents receive the compensation to which they are entitled because of the negligence of a DUI driver. Florida has laws for DUI accident victims to obtain a fair and just compensation. Information on these laws can be found at: Hurtbydrunkdriver.com.

Following are just a few of the case results of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.:

• A multi-million-dollar record jury verdict for a Naples car accident victim who suffered serious back injuries in a crash caused by a drunk driver crossing the center line and striking her vehicle. 

• A multi-million-dollar jury verdict for a victim who received fractures to his hip, pelvis, and both feet caused by a drunk driver in Collier County.

• A settlement for a Fort Myers ATV accident victim who received serious leg fractures when the ATV she was on was struck by a drunk driver. 

We represent people involved in numerous types of personal injury and wrongful death accidents throughout the state of Florida. All of our clients have unique personal injury cases. Our firm provides personal contact and communication along with aggressive representation, and there are no costs or attorney fees until we receive a monetary recovery.

Should you or a loved one be injured in an accident please contact our legal team 24/7 at 239.337.7483, toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or online at SpiveyLaw.com.