In New Mexico each year, scores of people are killed by drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Fortunately, a new and better trend may be developing. In 2013, the number of DUI-related deaths dropped by 14 percent compared with DUI-related deaths the year before.
According to statistics detailed by Governor Susana Martinez, 133 people were killed in a drunk driving accident in 2013. Compared to 2003, when 214 people were killed by drunken drivers, this decrease complements an overall decline of 38 percent over a decade.
Similarly, 310 people were killed in car accidents in 2013, a 16 percent decline compared with 367 deaths in 2012.
Although a trend may be developing, the statistics still show that fatalities from traffic accidents remain troubling even after state authorities undertook a variety of measures to change driver behavior. Among those are the governor’s recent signing of a law that prohibits texting, emailing and internet-searching while driving.
Even when the victim of a drunk driver or other negligent driver survives, any injuries sustained can often have long-term adverse effects on the victim’s physical and emotional health and well-being as well as on his or her family.
Injuries in a nonfatal car accident can range from minor cuts and bruises to broken bones to severe injuries to the head, neck or spinal cord that can permanently disable. In addition to what a victim must spend for medical treatment and rehabilitation, he or she may also suffer monetary losses from lost wages and other benefits because of time needed off from work.
For these reasons, a victim who is injured in a car accident can consult an experienced legal professional to understand the legal options available for recovering the maximum amount of compensation from the insurance company of the party responsible for the accident, especially if one has reason to believe they were hit by a negligent driver.
Source: ABQ Journal, “State DWI deaths show 14% decline in 2013,” Olivier Uyttebrouck, Mar. 14, 2014