Burlington Personal Injury Attorneys

More than 100 Years of Combined Experience

  1. Home
  2.  » 
  3. Car Accidents
  4.  » Drunk driver had ADHD drugs in her system at time of August wreck

Drunk driver had ADHD drugs in her system at time of August wreck

On Behalf of | May 13, 2014 | Car Accidents

It goes without saying that drunk drivers are a hazard when they take to the streets and highways of New Jersey. And while consuming alcohol before driving is dangerous in and of itself, the effects might be intensified for people who are taking drugs at the same time — whether these are prescription drugs or illegal ones. It’s possible that the combination of alcohol and drugs might lead someone to do something that they would not otherwise do.

A possible example of this comes to us from a car accident that happened in August; some of the details are just being made known. A head-on motor vehicle crash between a drunk driver and another motorist led to that motorist suffering serious injuries. She was hospitalized for a long stretch, followed by time spent in an assisted living facility. The drunk driver died in the crash.

Now, the injured woman is suing the bar that served the drunk driver alcohol, saying that the woman had to have been visibly intoxicated after drinking all day. Her blood alcohol level was measured at more than twice the legal limit.

The woman was also taking medication to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which might have offset the tiring effect of the alcohol, enabling her to feel well enough to drive. She was clearly impaired, though; she left the bar in a car that wasn’t hers. Valet attendants had asked the car’s owners to leave the keys inside.

The parents of the drunk driver are also suing the bar, saying that bartenders should not have continued to serve her after she had been drinking all day. In any case, the situation is a tragic one for everyone involved.

Source: NJ.com, “Driver in fatal DWI wreck was on ADHD meds, but their role in crash unclear,” Anthony G. Attrino, May 5, 2014

Archives