Drunk Driving vs. Distracted Driving: Which Causes More Crashes on Thanksgiving? Know the Risks and Protect Your New Haven Claim

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest and most dangerous times on New Haven roads. As families gather and travel peaks, so do the twin dangers of impaired driving and distracted driving. For the personal injury attorney, understanding the distinction is critical; for an accident victim, it means knowing how to protect your claim.

The Clear and Present Danger: Impaired Driving in Connecticut

Nationally, the period surrounding Thanksgiving is notorious for alcohol-related crashes. In Connecticut, this risk is amplified. Data shows that the state sees a significant increase in drunk-driving fatalities during Thanksgiving week compared to a typical day. For areas like New Haven, where holiday gatherings and the popular “Blackout Wednesday” bar scene draw large crowds, the risk of encountering an impaired driver on I-95, I-91, or local routes like the Kimberly Avenue bridge is dramatically higher.

If you are injured by a drunk driver, your personal injury claim is strengthened by the driver’s egregious negligence. Not only may you be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, but Connecticut law may also allow your attorney to pursue punitive damages to punish the at-fault driver for their reckless actions.

The Silent Epidemic: Distracted Driving in New Haven

While drunk driving carries the highest percentage of fatalities nationwide, distracted driving, particularly cell phone use, remains one of the most common causes of all accidents in the New Haven area. A distracted driver is often weaving, braking erratically, or failing to stop at traffic signals along high-traffic roads.

The challenge in a distracted driving case is proving the driver was using a phone or distracted by another activity at the exact moment of the crash. An experienced New Haven auto accident lawyer will take immediate steps to:

• Subpoena Cell Phone Records: This evidence is often the smoking gun needed to prove negligence.
• Interview Witnesses: Other drivers or pedestrians often see the at-fault driver looking down just before impact.
• Analyze Accident Scene Data: Evidence like lack of skid marks can point to a driver who never reacted because they were looking away from the road.

Protecting Your Claim After a Holiday Crash

Whether the negligent driver was drunk or distracted, the immediate steps you take are the same and are vital to your future case:

1. Call the New Haven Police Department (NHPD): A police report documenting the crash is critical. If a DUI arrest is made, your case for negligence is much stronger.
2. Document Everything: Take photos of the scene, vehicle damage, and any visible injuries.
3. Seek Medical Attention: Get treated at Yale New Haven Hospital or another facility immediately, and be clear with your physician that your injuries are a result of the accident.
4. Do Not Speak to Insurance Companies: The at-fault driver’s insurance adjuster will call quickly. Refer all communication to your New Haven personal injury attorney.

The holiday season is no time to navigate a complex legal claim alone. If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash caused by a drunk or distracted driver on New Haven roads, contact our office today for a free, confidential consultation.