The holiday season is fast approaching, and as it does, it is important to consider a serious subject that is often overlooked. While attending holiday parties and family gatherings is fun – as well as a wonderful way to socialize and catch up with those you haven’t seen in a long time – it can also lead to the excessive consumption of alcohol.
As an experienced attorney for car accidents in New Jersey and New York, we know all too well that DUI incidents are not exclusively seen during the holiday season – but all year around. Nevertheless, we believe this is the perfect time of year to discuss the importance of handing the keys over to a designated driver or commuting via a rideshare service.
Role Models in Unfortunate Circumstances
While Hollywood celebrities and national sports heroes are often excellent role models for others, they can also easily make the same mistakes as the rest of us. Unfortunately, when those mistakes include getting behind the wheel of a car after having too much to drink, the consequences can be disastrous.
Henry Ruggs III is the most recent example of a talented young athlete, with a promising football career ahead of him, to make that fateful decision. A decision that cost the life of a young woman who Henry Ruggs had never met – someone’s daughter, someone’s friend. It has also cost Ruggs his career and likely his freedom. In one instant, this young man, with an amazing future and everything to look forward to, lost it all – and in so doing, destroyed the life of an innocent young woman.
Understanding the Choices and the Consequences
While no one’s saying you shouldn’t indulge in all the festivities this time of year has to offer, you should also have a plan. A plan that includes safe transportation home at the end of the night as well as another contingency if something changes.
For instance, you and your wife decide one of you will serve as the designated driver for the evening, but you unexpectedly run into some friends you haven’t seen in years. You may end up staying out much longer than you anticipated, with neither of you wanting to miss out on the fun. This is when a contingency plan is inevitably important.
We are naturally more daring when we have a couple of drinks under our belts, and that is not the time to make important decisions that can alter your entire life. If you drive, as soon as you make that decision to drink, make sure your car is in a safe and legal parking space and plan on picking it up tomorrow – then take a rideshare home.
You have likely never focused on how the wrong decision could impact your world. You could be killed, or permanently disabled. How would your loved ones feel? Your kids? Your pets? You could end up killing or disabling others. Their families would be devastated – as would your bank account. You could serve a lengthy sentence and never see your kids grow up. Any of these outcomes are possible when you make a poor decision that can always be easily avoided.
Kreizer Law – Lawyers for Auto Accidents in Linden, New Jersey
At Kreizer Law, we understand how devastating a DUI accident can be and we hope you will always avoid the poor decisions that could lead to being involved in one. However, even if you do everything right, you could become an accident victim through no fault of your own.
If you, or someone you love, has suffered a devastating injury due to another’s negligence, we are here to help you obtain the justice you deserve. Contact us to book your free case evaluation today.
