Despite the high cost of fuel and challenging financial environment, people throughout Mississippi have set out for Thanksgiving travel throughout the state.  Holiday periods typically present both the highest number of travelers occupying our streets and highways and also substantial spikes in accident rates.  The combination of more vehicles on the road, driver fatigue from traveling long distances and alcohol associated with Thanksgiving parties can present a perfect storm of serious accident risks.  At Barrett Law, we want to remind Thanksgiving travelers to be safe and take extra caution when on the road during this long holiday weekend.

Thanksgiving is a common travel holiday that sees many serious accidents caused by drunken drivers. Approximately forty million people will travel in excess of fifty miles this weekend with ninety percent of those travelers navigating streets, highways and interstates across the United States.  The day before Thanksgiving is the second leading party night of the year.  It is hardly surprising that the Thanksgiving holiday weekend exceeds all other holiday periods for fatal drunken driving accidents.  Travelers should take safe routes, travel during the day when possible, get plenty of rest prior to driving and take frequent breaks.

Although law enforcement attempts to step up enforcement of DUI laws during holiday periods with DUI checkpoints, many alcohol-related accidents still occur.  An intoxicated driver poses a significant risk to everyone else on the road because of the impact of alcohol on one’s driving ability. While many drivers under the influence of alcohol report believing that they are more effective drivers when intoxicated, drunken driving impairs drivers in the following ways:

• Impairs judgment and decision-making
• Slows reaction time for braking and steering
• Reduces coordination
• Adversely affects vision and depth perception
• Distorts perception of speed and distance

If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident with a drunken driver you may not only file a personal injury lawsuit based on negligence, but you may also seek punitive damages.  Punitive damages are designed to punish particularly offensive conduct that shows a conscious disregard for the safety of others and discourage such conduct in the future.  Frequently, punitive damage awards exceed the amount of all other types of damages in a personal injury lawsuit.

At Barrett Law, we believe traffic fatalities caused by drunken drivers are both needless and tragic. We are committed to seeking justice for the victims of drunk drivers and to diligently pursuing the best possible outcome for those victims.  We invite you to contact us so that we can evaluate your Mississippi car accident claim and advise you of your rights and options.  Call us at 662-834-2376.

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