Cross-border personal injury: Look out for drunk drivers

Studies have shown that people are not good at judging their own levels of impairment. The fact that they have consumed alcohol is enough reason not to drive a vehicle. Many British Columbia residents have been victims of accidents caused by drunk drivers. When such accidents occur while driving south of the border, recovering damages could be complicated.

There are many reasons for underestimating the level of impairment, one of which is the fact that the person feels less impaired after an hour or more has elapsed since the last drink. However, they are still not sober enough to drive. Other factors include not only the number of drinks consumed but also the size of each drink. Larger wine glass sizes or larger beer cans can add to the conception of the level of impairment.

How much and which type of food was consumed can play a role, and if the person took medication, the combination of alcohol and drugs could exacerbate the impairment. Fatigue is another condition that could affect the ability to drive. When these factors are not considered, people may think the one or two drinks they had is not enough to make them drunk.

Impaired drivers do not only risk their own lives. Their passengers and occupants of other vehicles that may cross the path of an impaired driver could be threatened. When such accidents occur to British Columbia drivers while they are in Seattle or other destinations south of the border, the legalities are significantly more complicated. The most sensible step would be to leave the legal proceedings to an experienced cross-border personal injury lawyer to pursue financial relief.