Accidents happen every day in Alameda in in the surrounding communities. Particularly when a driver is drunk or otherwise intoxicated, anyone else sharing the road could become the next victim.

Just recently, Betty Yee – the State Controller of California – and her husband left their Alameda home for a meeting in a nearby city. They were being driven to the meeting by a driver from the California Highway Patrol. Northbound traffic in the Posey Tube had brought them to a halt.

Suddenly, a driver in his mid-twenties raced into the tunnel and rear-ended the Controller Yee's vehicle, which in turn collided with the car ahead of it. In an attempt to get away, the man again struck the car carrying Yee. He suffered minor injuries and the driver of the car in front of Yee was uninjured, but Yee and her husband required emergency room treatment for whiplash and other injuries. The man who hit the Controller's car has been arrested and police suspect that he was driving while under the influence of marijuana.

Intoxicated drivers put everyone around them at serious risk. They may think they can operate a vehicle safely; they may be perfectly capable of walking straight, speaking clearly and maintaining coordination. But alcohol, marijuana and other substances also impair things like judgment and reaction time. A sober driver will likely be able to anticipate things like traffic slowing down or stopping ahead in a tunnel and respond by slowing down or changing lanes. But driving while impaired often means that car accidents and injuries will result.

When this happens – and it can happen to anyone – an intoxicated driver can be held liable for the victim's losses. A personal injury professional can help stand up for victim's rights and hold a negligent driver accountable.