Posts Tagged ‘driving under the influence’


Drunk Driving Accidents: College Students

Saturday, June 26th, 2010

TSR Injury Law
Minnesota Drunk Driving Accidents Lawyers
Recovered Millions for Victims of Drunk Driving Accidents

drinking-game-1 Drunk Driving Accidents: College StudentsBinge drinking on college campuses has gotten out of control. Not surprisingly, this has resulted in an increase in drunk driving and drunk driving accidents. It is time for everyone to work together to address and find ways to resolve the problem.

TSR Injury Law is committed to seeking justice for victims of drunk driving accidents. We have litigated hundreds of drunk driving accident cases and recovered millions for hurting families. Call us at 612-362-0000 or submit our contact form for a free consultation. Under Minnesota law, you may be eligible to collect for property damage, wage loss, replacement services, pain and suffering, and possibly punitive damages.

College Student Drinking Statistics

A government site aimed toward college drinking prevention has compiled a list of statistics about the consequences of excessive drinking on college campuses:

  • Death: 1,700 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes (Hingson et al., 2005).
  • Injury: 599,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol (Hingson et al., 2005).
  • Assault: More than 696,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking (Hingson et al., 2005).
  • Sexual Abuse: More than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape (Hingson et al., 2005).
  • Unsafe Sex: 400,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 had unprotected sex and more than 100,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 report having been too intoxicated to know if they consented to having sex (Hingson et al., 2002).
  • Academic Problems: About 25 percent of college students report academic consequences of their drinking including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall (Engs et al., 1996; Presley et al., 1996a, 1996b; Wechsler et al., 2002).
  • Health Problems/Suicide Attempts: More than 150,000 students develop an alcohol-related health problem (Hingson et al., 2002) and between 1.2 and 1.5 percent of students indicate that they tried to commit suicide within the past year due to drinking or drug use (Presley et al., 1998).
  • Drunk Driving: 2.1 million students between the ages of 18 and 24 drove under the influence of alcohol last year (Hingson et al., 2002).
  • Vandalism: About 11 percent of college student drinkers report that they have damaged property while under the influence of alcohol (Wechsler et al., 2002).
  • Property Damage: More than 25 percent of administrators from schools with relatively low drinking levels and over 50 percent from schools with high drinking levels say their campuses have a “moderate” or “major” problem with alcohol-related property damage (Wechsler et al., 1995).
  • Police Involvement: About 5 percent of 4-year college students are involved with the police or campus security as a result of their drinking (Wechsler et al., 2002) and an estimated 110,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are arrested for an alcohol-related violation such as public drunkenness or driving under the influence (Hingson et al., 2002).
  • Alcohol Abuse and Dependence: 31 percent of college students met criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse and 6 percent for a diagnosis of alcohol dependence in the past 12 months, according to questionnaire-based self-reports about their drinking (Knight et al., 2002).

Drunk Driving and How College Students Can Help

Many college students are bothered by the amount of drinking on campus and want to find solutions. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation conducted a national poll of college-age students and found that 70% favor a drinking age of 21 and 65% of those polled want drinking laws and rules more strongly enforced.

College students interested in impacting the drinking culture on their college campus can get involved in campus-based student groups, either through MADD MN, campus leaders, or law enforcement-sponsored initiatives.

Minnesota Drunk Driving Accidents Lawyer

TSR Injury Law is proactive in the fight against drunk driving accidents. In fact, we recently participated in the 2010 Walk Like MADD 5K Event sponsored by MADD Minnesota, at Raspberry Park. We care that you are hurting and we want to help in your fight for justice. Contact us today at 612-362-0000.


Driver Negligence Lawyer

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

mn-punitive-damages-awarded-1 Driver Negligence LawyerNegligence is defined as failure to exercise a degree of care that, in the circumstances, the law requires for the protection of other persons that may be injured by the lack of such care.

That means that all drivers have a duty to exercise reasonable care in the operation of their motor vehicle. This duty makes drivers accountable for acts which they knew, or should have known, would likely result in injury to person or property. A finding of negligence will constitute liability for injuries sustained as a result of that negligence. Courts consider various factors in determining a driver’s negligence. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Speed: An accident caused in whole or in part by driving too fast or too slow may result in the driver being found negligent.
  • DWI / DUI: A driver may be liable for an accident caused by driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Driving drunk or under the influence of drugs can result in punitive damages being assessed against the driver.
  • Obeying driving laws: A driver may be liable for an accident caused by failing to obey traffic laws, such as: failure to signal while turning, failure to signal when changing lanes, or failure to use headlights when appropriate.
  • Exercising caution: A driver may be liable for an accident caused by disregarding weather or traffic conditions.
  • Observing traffic laws: A driver may be liable for an accident occurring due to failure to obey traffic signs or signals or failure to stay in your lane.
  • Conduct: A driver may be liable for an accident caused in whole or in part by intentional or reckless disregard of other’s safety.

To ultimately determine the amount an injured person may recover, the courts consider the negligence of all parties involved in the accident. In Minnesota, the plaintiff’s percentage of fault will reduce the total amount which can be recovered.

It is important to have a knowledgeable attorney who will explain all possible avenues for recovery. Evaluating all of the facts involved in the cause of a motor vehicle accident requires skill and experience. A knowledgeable and aggressive Minnesota Car Accident Lawyer will investigate every possible contributing cause of an accident to ensure that you will receive full compensation for your injuries.

This information is provided as a service of TSR Injury Law, 612-362-0000, a Minnesota Personal Injury Law Firm serving Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the state of Minnesota. Call or contact us if we may be of assistance in your car accident case.