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The consumption of alcohol can be a fun and safe way to kill time with friends, families and even strangers if done responsibly. It’s too often that said responsibility is completely disregarded and time is no longer the only thing being killed. Believe it or not, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 30 people are killed every single day in motor vehicle crashes that involve a driver impaired by alcohol. In 2010, an enormous 10,228 were killed in DUI crashes, and over 1.4 million drivers were arrested and charged. (More interesting facts on alcohol-impaired driving)
Here are the facts; it’s a reoccurring issue. Even when drunk drivers are convicted and charged with DUI, they seem to keep doing it again and again, as if they didn’t learn the first time. This should tell you that there are not enough people out there fighting for harsher penalties. There are, however, attempts being made to reduce and punish drivers with illegal levels of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) that are currently in effect. In Florida, as well as 37 other states in the U.S. actively use Sobriety Checkpoints which are set up and manned by officers on main roads.
Sobriety Checkpoints are an effective way for officers to legally (through implied consent) stop and examine drivers through a Breathalyzer device, a field sobriety test, or both, to determine BAC. While it seems quite invasive of your privacy, it could potentially save a life in the event that an officer detains an intoxicated driver. (More on Field Sobriety Tests and Breathalyzers) These have proven impressively helpful in the battle against DUI accidents, but it’s simply not enough. Florida only conducts 15-20 of these checkpoints per month in the entire state, which is considerably higher than some states that do only one or two per month, such as Oklahoma.
There are organizations such as International Drunk Driving Prevention Association (IDDPA), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), and other groups that focus on fighting to put an end to the dangerous occurrence of DUI. They have all proven very successful, with MADD assisting an impressive 61,000 DUI Victims in 2012 alone. According to MADD, a whopping 17 million Americans have admitted to drinking and driving.
Current sentences, fines and penalties for DUI vary depending on the state of the crime and the previous criminal history of the offender, but here are some possible repercussions for committing the crime in Florida.
- On the 1st offense, the criminal can serve 6 to 9 months in jail, be charged $500 to $2,000 in charges, get their license suspended for 180 days to 1 year, and must have an IID installed in their car. Each additional offense can greatly increase these already harsh penalties. (Full list of Florida penalties for DUI offenses)
An IID, or Interlock Ignition Device, is a device that requires you to blow a legal number into a Breathalyzer installed in your car’s dashboard before you can turn on the car. In almost all cases, the driver who was convicted for the crime is required to pay the cost of the device and installation; they are also required to pay a monthly leasing fee of around $50-100.
As you can see, the penalties for a DUI are not to be taken lightly, and it’s not the penalties themselves that are wrong, it’s the people fighting to have the penalties enforced. Out of an estimated 300,000 people driving drunk every day, a measly 4,000 are arrested. How is it that they’re getting away with it? That’s an enormous amount of drivers being allowed to drive drunk and no one is stopping them; your friends, family, and neighbors are constantly in danger.
Here at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, it’s our goal to help ensure justice is served to the criminal that has caused you or a love one grief in a DUI accident. While we understand that steep penalties being pushed and eventually endured by the criminal could never replace a family member or heal any injuries suffered by one, the compensation that you may be entitled to could make the situation less stressful by covering any medical or funeral expenses, damages and other losses. We’re here to help make a potentially life-changing situation a little easier on the victims and families involved.
About Us
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA was founded in 2009 by Matthew Dolman, Esq., the President, and partner Christian Myer, Esq. Both Matthew and Christian attended Stetson University majoring in trial advocacy; Stetson has one of the highest rated trial advocacy programs in the nation. They were both also selected as Florida Rising Stars in 2013 – 2014, a prestigious title given by Super Lawyers rating service to outstanding young candidates. Not only was Matthew selected as a “National Top 100 Trial Lawyer”, but also as a “Top 40 Under 40” by NTL (National Trial Lawyers Organization), and scores a perfect 10.0 rating on Avvo.com, a respected online legal directory.
Our firm operates in the Bay Area but serves the entire state of Florida. Focusing on personal injury law, Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA represents many practice areas, including those who have been injured in car and motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, slip and fall accidents, distracted or drunk driving, and more. At our firm, we’re on your side, and being home to seven experienced, successful and professional attorneys makes having Dolman Law fight for you a wise choice. We provide an important gateway for success as well by providing our clients with the personal cell phone number of the attorney dealing with their case, enabling the creation of real relationships and connections. We’ve been ‘in it to win it’ since 2009 and we hope you are as well.
Why choose Dolman Law?
Drunk drivers who do get caught are usually justly punished, but often times, their punishments are simply not enough to make up for your losses, especially if a loved one was seriously injured or even killed in the accident. You might be going through extremely rough times and need someone there to support you not only morally, but legally. There may be options you have that you weren’t aware of; there may even be information you have about the accident that could be enormously beneficial in your case that you don’t know about.
Drunk drivers are constantly being let off the hook; by giving them minimum length sentences and cutting them slack, we’re enabling them to do it again. In 2013 alone, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles) there were approximately 13,000 DUI Violations in the Tampa Bay area alone; this includes the Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota and Pasco counties. If we want to see any results in the future, we need to seriously crack down on the issue and start penalizing these drunk drivers with the harshest penalties and instill fear into them. It’s the moment we take action that they will think twice before getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. An astounding one-third of drivers convicted and charged for DUI are repeat offenders.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA has had amazing success in the past with many cases related to this and we only plan on adding to our list of impressive achievements. We’re proud to represent anyone who is a victim of unfair treatment, ignorance, negligence or simply doesn’t know what steps to take to start their legal case. Our proud and respected team will stand with you in your battle to ensure a victorious result.
Work with us TODAY for FREE!
If you or a loved one has been involved in a situation regarding this topic, Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA offers a completely free consultation and case evaluation. That means that for 30 minutes, we will personally sit down with you, hear your case, inform you of your rights and possible courses of action, and offer you our most suited attorney to handle your situation; all completely free of charge. We also offer a confident “No Recovery, No Fee” promise to our clients, enabling your peace of mind knowing that you aren’t obligated to pay us anything until we achieve a pay out to you.
Our offices in New Port Richey, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater ensure easy access from any major location in the Bay area, but should you decide we are ideal for your team, we will advocate for anyone in the state of Florida. We aim for satisfaction from start to end and have no doubts about achieving this goal. Contact Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA today and we’ll get started on your case quickly and confidentially.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA
800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33756
727-451-6900
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