Florida Drugged Driving Accident Lawyer

Efforts to fight drunk driving have topped the national agenda for many years. But drugged driving also presents a danger on Florida roads.

In a 2021 study, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 56 percent of injured or killed motorists tested positive for drugs. That same year, Florida had 747 vehicle crashes involving drugs, resulting in hundreds of fatalities and injuries, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

If you have been hurt or a family member has been killed in a drugged driving accident, you deserve compensation for your losses. Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, helps drugged driving accident victims across South Florida and the Treasure Coast, including Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Fort Pierce, Jupiter, Palm Beach and Vero Beach. For a free consultation, contact us today at 1-800-299-8878 or through our online contact form.

Drugged Driving Accidents in Florida 

Florida’s driving under the influence (DUI) law generally addresses driving under the influence of alcohol. But the law also refers to dozens of drugs, or “controlled substances.”  If a driver is affected by these drugs to the extent that their normal faculties are impaired, he or she is guilty of a DUI offense.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) says in its 2021 Florida Traffic Crash Statistics that drug-confirmed collisions, crash fatalities, and injuries are on the rise. The report shows that in 2021 alone, there were:

• 747 drug-confirmed crashes in Florida, marking a 5.5 percent increase from 2020
• 420 drug crash fatalities, which was 9.4 percent more than in 2020
• 63 incapacitating injuries from drug-related crashes, a 10.5 percent jump from 2020
• 414 crashes involving both drugs and alcohol at the same time, which was 9 percent more than in 2020. 

Florida’s drugged driving problem is not only a matter of illicit drugs like marijuana, methamphetamine (“meth”) or other street drugs. A national survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that some prescription drugs have effects similar to drunk-driving, and that half of all the drivers surveyed had taken these drugs. The “potentially driver impairing” medications include antidepressants, antihistamines, cough medicines, muscle relaxants, pain medications, and sleep aids.

Jim Hall, former director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Substance Abuse at Nova Southeastern University, told the Orlando Sun-Sentinel in a separate report, “Prescription-drug abuse certainly makes South Florida’s highways and side streets more dangerous.”

Compensation for Florida Drugged Driving Accident Victims 

Drugged driving is an affirmative act. It is something a driver chooses to do. A Florida driver does not have to be convicted of DUI to have been drug-impaired and responsible for a drugged driving car accident. A driver under the influence of illegal or prescription drugs simply lacks the ability to safely control their vehicle and can cause accidents that injure or kill others.

Anyone who suffers losses caused by a drugged driver should seek legal help right away. A personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit may be filed to recover damages that include property (or vehicle) damage, medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering. Because Florida law places a time limit on filing a claim for legal relief after a car accident, it’s important to act soon in order to protect your rights.

Contact a Florida Drugged Driving Accident Lawyer Today 

At Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, we help victims of Florida drugged driving accidents recover from their injuries and losses. When a driver chooses to drive after consuming drugs – whether they are illicit, prescription or over-the-counter drugs – those who have suffered should be made whole financially.

The drugged driving attorneys of Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, are dedicated to helping people in Florida who have sustained losses because of someone driving under the influence of drugs. If you or a loved one has been injured because of drug-impaired driving, or you have lost a loved one in a car accident caused by a drug-impaired driver, you may have a right to compensation for your injuries and losses.

Since 1975, the car accident lawyers of Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, have investigated the circumstances of thousands of auto accidents on behalf of clients in South Florida and have offices in Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, Okeechobee, Palm Beach Gardens and West Palm Beach. If you’ve been hurt, Philip DeBerard is on your side.

Contact Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney today at our toll-free number or by using our online contact form. You can put our legal team to work on your case right away.