Drug Use

Numerous studies have established the link between drug use and car accidents. In a study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, for example, researchers concluded that almost 25% of drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes were found to be driving with an illegal substance in their blood. While most drivers realize that drunk driving in Hollywood and Florida is dangerous and while authorities enforce DUI charges, it is more difficult to get the message across about drugged driving.

Nevertheless, if you have been injured by a drugged driver in Florida, you do have options. From law offices in Hollywood, Homestead, and Miami, Flaxman Law Group has successfully pursued thousands of drugged and dangerous drivers and other liable parties, securing money on behalf of those who have been injured. If you have suffered as a result of an inebriated driver, put the more than sixty years of experience of Flaxman Law Group to work on your behalf. Contact Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation to review the avenues open to you.

There is still some question in the scientific community about whether illegal drugs correlate to fatal traffic accident or whether they cause them. That is, do they directly lead to a crash or do people who take drugs also take part in other higher-risk activities (such as speeding) that can lead to a collision? What is known is that drugs can affect a person’s motor skills, decision-making ability, and response times. These are the very same things that can make drunk driving so dangerous. Safety experts agree that driving under the influence of any drug can be dangerous and may lead to an accident.

Despite this research, there are fewer drugged driving charges pressed when compared with DUI charges. While there are many educational campaigns about drunk driving, there seems to be less awareness about the dangers of drugged driving.

Part of the reason is because there are fewer groups dedicated exclusively to stopping drugged driving. In addition, it is harder to catch drugged drivers and therefore less publicity about the problem. There are many reasons why driving under the influence is harder to detect when drugs are involved:

• People who use illegal drugs may go to great lengths to hide their use
• There are no sobriety or field sobriety tests for drivers using drugs
• There are no official limits for certain medications and drugs
• There is a huge range of illegal drugs available, with new drugs being developed all the time, so it is difficult to create a sobriety test that could test for all of these substances

What makes things even more complicated is that in some cases drivers are under the influence of legal drugs, which can be even harder to detect. Drivers who take muscle relaxants and some anti-depressant drugs, for example, may be unsafe to drive but choose to do so anyway. Even some over-the-counter medication can affect a person’s ability to drive safely. However, there is no law against taking these medications and as a result drivers may feel justified in taking the medication and then getting behind the wheel of their car, no matter how dangerous and illegal it may be.

If you have been injured by a drugged driver, you need an experienced and aggressive attorney by your side. Since there are no recognized tests and limits for drugs, it can be harder to prove that a driver was driving under the influence. A savvy attorney may need to work with medical experts, accident reconstruction professionals, and investigators to prove that drugged driving led to an accident and specific injury. Even if the drugs taken were legal or prescribed medication, a good attorney can build a strong case showing that the drugs were used recklessly and caused harm.

The attorneys at Flaxman Law Group have more than six decades of combined experience. They have worked at both the negotiating table and in the courtroom to bring justice and compensation to those families devastated by drugged and drunk drivers. If you have been injured in a traffic collision, feel free to contact Flaxman Law Group at any time to schedule a free, no obligation case review to get a thorough and personalized evaluation of your potential case.