In Texas, like most other states, the legal blood alcohol limit when driving is .08. However, alcohol is still a factor in many car crashes even when there is not a driver who is legally drunk. Lower amounts of alcohol can still inhibit a person’s reflexes and elevate the risk of an accident. The risk is even more pronounced when dealing with younger drivers.
Some states are beginning to change their laws in order to lower the legal blood alcohol level. Utah was one of the first states to make this change, dropping the blood alcohol limit down to .05.
Other states are beginning to follow suit, and the results are that the number of alcohol-related crashes in those states has declined. Drivers who have had anything to drink are a risk to other drivers on the road. In fact, 15% of road fatalities in this country over a 15-year period resulted from accidents where the driver was not legally drunk, but alcohol was a factor nonetheless.
Even if a driver has had one drink and is involved in an accident, they may still be legally responsible for that accident because the alcohol caused them to be negligent in some way. The alcohol can be a determining factor of who is responsible for the accident and might lead to compensation for you if you have been involved in an accident with a driver who was drinking but not drunk.
If you have been involved in an accident with a driver who made a mistake behind the wheel, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries. You may want to ask a personal injury attorney to advise you of your legal rights. They might then help you file a claim for compensation and negotiate a settlement if it is possible. If no agreement can be reached, the attorney may take your case to court and litigate.
