Cheers to the Designated Driver

The holidays are here and as many of us are looking forward to a season of celebration, there are a few unsung heroes out there that are worth mentioning. While friends and family members gather together to make memories and have fun, the dedicated designated driver helps them all do it safely. It really isn’t safe to walk the line by trying to judge how many drinks you should or shouldn’t have before you get behind the wheel. When you have a sober chauffeur, everyone else can just enjoy.

Whether that means a friend who cares enough to refrain from drinking or hiring an Uber or some other transport service, often the most important thing is to make the decision ahead of time and have a mindset that if you plan to drink, you will plan ahead and have a safe ride home. Even though we all know it’s true, it helps to have a few reminders of why it’s so important not to drive while you’re under the influence of alcohol. Today’s blog outlines five ways alcohol effects your driving, and why having a designated driver is so important and appreciated.

1) How You React

So many variables can happen when you’re driving, from a deer darting across the road to a car pulling out of a blind driveway on a curve. You also have drivers who are distracted, or under the influence of alcohol themselves. When you drink, it can cause you to be slower to react to the unexpected and make it harder for you to avoid a collision.

2) How Your Eyes Respond

Our eyes tend to be drawn towards light, like oncoming headlights, and when driving at night we have to be able to gauge our distance from oncoming traffic. That can be harder to do when we have been drinking.

3) How You Think

In many ways, a person’s decision making is different when they are drinking versus when they are not. When you’re behind the wheel, you must be able to make quick decisions, think ahead, and be aware of your surroundings. Alcohol can be a hindrance to all of these.

4) How Well You Track

When a driver has been drinking, they tend to not look as far down the road, and not track as straight. This leads to weaving or even swerving depending on how much they have been drinking. This is not only high risk for getting you pulled over, but also risk for causing a serious accident.

5) Your Focus and Speed Control

Generally, when people have been drinking, they don’t stay focused as well as they do when they’re sober. So, keeping track of their speed is more difficult went under the influence.

Appreciate Your Designated Driver!

It is for all these reasons and more that Gibbons Law Firm has such a great respect for the designated driver and the responsible adults who plan ahead before drinking. We know it is a time of year when people are celebrating and making memories. As personal injury attorneys at Lake of the Ozarks, we have seen happy times turn tragic because of drinking and driving. It only takes a little bit of planning, to make a huge difference in your life and someone else’s. Don’t take chances, find a designated driver, and treat them well! They are doing a great service for you and others. If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in a car accident in mid-Missouri due to someone else is drinking and driving, please contact our law firm in Lake Ozark for a free initial consultation. To hear more helpful legal tips and information from Gibbons Law Firm, use the link below to follow us on social media.

Remember, your initial consultation with Gibbons Law Firm is always free.

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Gibbons Law Firm

2820 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Suite B4

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

(573) 348-2211

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Kudos to Designated Drivers and All Those Who Use Them!

Temperatures are warming up and it’s starting to feel like summer at the lake of the Ozarks! That means tons of people will be having fun in the sun and making memories together. From boating and swimming to dining, shopping, and enjoying live music at one of the many venues here at the lake, lots of people will also be indulging and enjoying adult beverages while having fun. That means that as you are out on the road this summer, it is more possible you will be out on the road with people who have been drinking.  It also means that as you are making plans to go out and have fun, it’s important for you to be responsible and have a designated driver. 

Drinking can impair your driving in a number of ways that you may not notice at the time. But when you think about it when sober, we know there are some obvious ways that being under the influence of alcohol can hinder your driving skills. In today’s blog we just wanted to remind you of some specific things that are affected by drinking and why having a designated driver is so important. We also want to give a huge shout-out to all the designated drivers out there and the people who use them. It is a real way to make a difference and help avoid tragedies and we respect you for it. Our mid-Missouri personal injury attorneys have seen firsthand how devastating a drunk driving accident in central Missouri can be, and we know that no one wants to cause one or be a victim of one. So today’s blog is just a friendly reminder of 3 specific ways alcohol affects your driving and are reasons for you to choose a designated driver and avoid drinking and driving. 

1) Reaction Time and Decision Making

This is one of the biggest and most obvious disadvantages to trying to drive after you’ve been drinking. Alcohol is a depressant and can slow your reaction time and cloud your judgment. At highway speed, even a fraction of a second can determine whether or not you have a collision. There are numerous obstacles that may arise unexpectedly while driving such as animals, other drivers, and even changing of traffic lights and reacting quickly to such things is essential to avoiding accidents. But when drinking, you may be slow to react, you may overreact, or just not react at all. Of course, most people make better decisions when they’re sober, so make a good decision and arrange for a designated driver when you plan to go out and drink.

2) Tracking and Speed Control

People tend to be much less consistent in their speeds and tracking after drinking alcohol. Staying in the center of your lane and not crossing the lines becomes more challenging when you’re not sober, and in the curvy hills of the Ozarks, one small move outside of your lane can cost a life or lives. Blind hills and curves on roads with no shoulders create an unforgiving driving environment, so don’t take chances when it’s as simple as planning ahead.

3) Vision

Alcohol can affect your eye for detail and how your eyes respond to light. When driving at night, it’s normal to be drawn toward the light of oncoming cars. We know instinctively to stay in our lane and avoid them, but this can be harder to judge when drinking or drunk. It’s also important to be able to keep an eye out for things such as deer and to be able to accurately judge the distance between you and the cars around you. Alcohol makes all of these things more challenging and therefore more dangerous to you and others on the road with you.

At Gibbons Law Firm, we don’t want to see any more drunk driving accidents at Lake of the Ozarks. We know that we won’t stop them all, but every accident that any of us can help avoid should be considered a win. We want everyone to enjoy their time at Lake of the Ozarks, make memories, and have fun to the max. But we encourage you to do it responsibly. Having a designated driver allows you to do it worry-free. No one wants to be hurt, hurt someone else, or go to prison because they were just wanting to have fun. So plan ahead, do it the right way, and party on! If you have been injured in a drunk driving accident in mid-Missouri, we want you to know your rights. You should not have to go through your recovery alone, and you deserve compensation for your losses. We offer a free initial consultation with our personal injury attorneys at Lake of the Ozarks, and we would be more than willing to speak with you about your case and help you understand what your options are. Just give our Lake Ozark law firm a call to make an appointment. If you’d like to hear more tips and helpful information from our personal injury lawyers at Lake of the Ozarks, we invite you to use the links below to follow us on social media.

Remember, your initial consultation with Gibbons Law Firm is always free.

Your Trusted Legal Resource

Gibbons Law Firm

2820 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Suite B4

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

(573) 348-2211

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How Drinking Impairs Your Driving – Why to Have a Designated Driver

This is such a fun time of the year with all the holiday parties and get-togethers happening. But unfortunately, it can also be a risky time when it comes to drinking and driving. It is likely that at least some of those parties will involve alcohol. Unless people drink responsibly and have a designated driver, that means the risk of being on the road with an impaired driver is higher this time of the year. 

At Gibbons Law Firm, we know the devastation caused by drunk driving accidents at the Lake of the Ozarks. Our mid-Missouri personal injury attorneys have represented numerous victims, and we don’t want anything like that happening to someone else. So, today’s blog is dedicated to understanding the effects drinking has on your body and how it can impair your driving ability. It’s easy to have a drink and not think twice about getting in your car. But when you realize how much that drink can affect you, it’s better to be safe than sorry and find a designated driver, or wait until you get home to indulge. If you’d like to know a few reasons why it’s so worth it to be responsible, read on! This blog is for you. 

Vision.

Alcohol can affect your vision, and how you react to light. It is a natural reaction for your eye to be drawn towards light, but it can be worse when you’re drinking. This can be very dangerous at night with oncoming traffic. Seeing hazards such as deer or judging the distance between you and the cars ahead can be more difficult and at night this can be even more challenging. With the shorter days, we find ourselves driving more after dark, all these factors need to be taken into consideration.

Reaction Time.

Slow reaction time is another effect of being under the influence. When you’re traveling down the road just a fraction of a second can mean the difference between having a collision or not. Everything from reacting to other drivers, avoiding animals, and responding to traffic lights can be slower. 

Decision Making.

Being under the influence also affects your decision-making. It can make you slower to react, and you can make your judgment cloudy. You may overreact to some things, or under-react to others. Why not make a good decision before you start drinking, and arrange to have a ride so you don’t have to drive?

Tracking.

Staying between the lines and in the center of your lane is also much more difficult when you’ve been drinking. It takes only a small mistake to be deadly when it comes to crossing the centerline or driving off the road in the Ozarks.

 

Enjoy the holiday season SAFELY!

At Gibbons Law Firm we want everyone to have a fun and festive holiday season. But we also want you to be safe. No one should have to die or go to jail as a result of celebrating Christmas. That is why we wanted to share these simple reminders to encourage you to celebrate the right way and keep the holidays fun and worry-free! If you have been injured in a drunk driving accident in Central Missouri, we want you to know we are here for you. Reach out to us to schedule a free consultation with our personal injury attorneys at the Lake of the Ozarks. We would be happy to sit down with you and see how we could help.  To hear more tips and information from our mid-Missouri law firm, follow us on our social media channels using the links below.

Remember, your initial consultation with Gibbons Law Firm is always free.

Your Trusted Legal Resource

Gibbons Law Firm

2820 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Suite B4

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

(573) 348-2211

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Answers To Common Legal Questions: Personal Injury

People are injured every single day. Some injuries are self-inflicted, some are not the fault of any specific person, and some are inflicted at the hands other individuals. Though individuals are sometimes known to deliberately cause harm to others, many of these injuries are purely accidental. Even when they are unintentional, however, they can still cause steep medical bills and the need for extensive treatment.

Our personal injury attorney in Osage Beach MO is here to help you seek compensation for injuries you sustain due to someone else's negligence. In an effort to help you understand this aspect of our services a bit better, we have dedicated this week's blog to answering some of the personal injury questions we are commonly asked.

Question #1: My Insurance Company Told Me I Don't Need To Hire An Attorney. Are They Correct?
Answer: Though it is true that some situations may not require an attorney's assistance, you may not want to take your insurance company's opinion at face value. Remember that your insurance company is out to make a profit, so ensuring that you receive the highest possible payout for your case will not be their primary goal. Some insurance companies may try to dissuade you from hiring an attorney so that you will accept a lower settlement.

Question #2: How Can I Know If I Have A Valid Case?
Answer: If you think you will be able to prove that your injuries were caused (or significantly worsened) by someone else's action or inaction, you most likely have the grounds for a valid personal injury case. Our injury attorney in Camden County MO will work with you to determine the best method for moving forward.

Question #3: I Was Injured By A Driver Who Doesn't Have Insurance. How Can I Get Compensation?
Answer: Though American motorists are legally required to purchase insurance policies for the vehicles they drive, an alarming number of motorists do not have adequate insurance coverage. If you are injured by one of these motorists, you should be able to seek compensation from your own insurance company under your uninsured motorist policy. You may also be able to use this policy to seek compensation when the identity of the offending driver is unknown.

Question #4: How Much Is My Case Worth?
Answer: This is typically the most pressing question on the minds of anyone considering a personal injury lawsuit, but unfortunately it is one that is impossible to answer until an attorney has carefully evaluated your situation. Personal injury damages account for multiple things, such as past and future medical bills, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, property damage, and associated pain and suffering. Your settlement will reflect the financial value of these factors.

Question #5: How Much Will It Cost To Hire An Attorney?
Answer: Next to the financial payout they are likely to receive, the cost of an attorney is typically the most important question on the minds of anyone considering pursuing a lawsuit. The answer to this question will vary depending on the attorney you hire. At Gibbons Law Firm, we represent that majority of our personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. That is, we won't charge our clients anything unless we win their case. At that point, our fee will be an affordable percentage of the payout amount.

More Questions About Personal Injury? Contact Gibbons Law Firm.
If you have been injured at the hands of another, our personal injury attorney at the Lake of the Ozarks will be here to defend your rights and fight for you to receive the best settlement possible. For more information about our personal injury services, visit our website.

Your Trusted Legal Resource

Gibbons Law Firm

4075 Osage Beach Parkway, Suite 300

Osage Beach, MO 65065

(573) 348-2211

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No attorney-client relationship is created by the publication of this blog.