The cost of drunk driving can be quite high.
When police officers stop and arrest someone for driving under the influence of alcohol, that person—who will need a good DUI lawyer—can expect to face harsh consequences from jail time to hefty fines if convicted by a court.
That cost, however, becomes exponential when the drunk driver gets involved in an accident. Aside from the financial cost, a drunk driving crash—a violent one in particular—can bring about physical, psychological, and emotional effects that become such a burden to everyone involved.
The Physical Toll of Alcohol-related Drunk Driving Accidents
Anyone surviving a drunk driving crash with minor or no injuries can be considered fortunate. Many car crash survivors, however, can hardly be regarded as lucky with the type of physical injuries they sustain.
Some of the most heartbreaking injuries suffered during drunk driving crashes involve the head and brain. Survivors with a traumatic brain injury are often rendered unable to see, speak, talk, walk, or even eat on their own, sometimes for the rest of their lives.
Aside from the head and neck, the chest, the spine, and the legs and knees are also quite vulnerable during car crashes. It’s going to take some time for victims to recover from injuries to those areas, if at all. They are also likely to experience chronic pain for a long time.
The Psychological Cost of Drunk Driving Crashes
A drunk driving crash is a traumatizing event, especially when it’s so violent someone got killed or seriously hurt. Survivors tend to suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which affects millions of Americans every year.
People with PTSD typically manifest symptoms like irritability, difficulty sleeping, jumpiness, problems concentrating, emotional numbness, and nightmares.
Certain activities like riding or driving a car can also trigger flashbacks, which make them feel like they’re going through the traumatic experience all over again. Anything that may remind them of that fateful day like news reports about a car crash or seeing fellow survivors can set off flashbacks.
The Emotional Effects of Drunk Driving Accidents
When drunk drivers who brought about a deadly car crash survive the accident, they will likely feel guilty over the deaths and injuries they have caused, and this guilt will be hanging over their heads for a long time. Some may even feel so overwhelmed by the guilt that suicidal thoughts may enter their mind.
Other survivors of a drunk driving accident may also feel survivor’s guilt. Even when they didn’t do anything, they are likely to experience persistent mental and emotional stress over the fact that they survived the crash and others didn’t. It’s also common for survivors of a drunk driving accident to feel so much anger, especially against the drunk driver who caused the crash.
Indeed, the toll drunk driving accidents take on their victims is very high, and survivors will need all the support and help they can get to overcome their physical, psychological, and emotional effects. It might take them some time to recover, but with the help of professional treatments and therapies, survivors of drunk driving crashes can still hope to resume their normal lives.