Driving under the influence (DUI) of marijuana is a serious matter. When a driver is under marijuana intoxication, that driver’s ability to operate his or her motor vehicle will be substantially impaired. The effects on driving ability from marijuana are not the same as the effects from alcohol, but they are no less severe. When someone is intoxicated through the use of marijuana, there is good evidence that the person’s driving ability – as measured by things such as reaction time, general coordination, spatial awareness, and so forth – is significantly lowered.
If you happen to be hit by a driver under the influence of marijuana, and you suffer damages, this can be a very traumatic experience. If you’re fortunate enough to avoid physical injuries, you invariably must deal with the damages done to your property. If you’re unfortunate and suffer physical injuries as well, you need to power through the recovery, as well as cope with hefty medical expenses. The bright side of this otherwise glum situation is the fact that, under certain circumstances, victims of a driver on marijuana can recover financially. Here are a few tips to ensure that you maximize your chance to recovery financially after being hit by a driver on marijuana.
#1: Thoroughly Document the Scene of the Incident
After you’ve been hit by a driver under the influence of marijuana, one of the most critical tips to know is that you should thoroughly document the scene of the incident. Principally, this means taking photographs of everything relevant at the scene – your vehicle, the other driver’s vehicle, the immediate location of the scene, the surrounding environment, and so forth. Thoroughly documenting the scene, along with both vehicles (or all, if more than one vehicle is hit), is highly important in the financial recovery process. You need concrete evidence to show the extent of the damage to your property, and also evidence pertaining to the local environment. Having all this evidence is needed in part to establish fault, and fault is critical in recovery.
#2: Gather Information about the Driver’s Intoxicated State
Whenever you are hit by a driver on marijuana, you want to gather as much information as is practicable regarding the driver’s intoxicated state. Measuring a person’s marijuana intoxication is not the same process as measuring a person’s alcohol intoxication. In some cases, a person’s intoxication on marijuana will be obvious, and there will be clear secondary indicators, such as smell. However, primary indicators and secondary indicators won’t always be clear, and in some cases a driver may outright lie about their intoxicated state. Gather as much data as you can. Report secondary indicators to the police, and be sure to document police findings on the driver’s intoxicated state. When the police arrive, they may administer tests to the other driver to determine the extent of the intoxication; you should obtain copies of those results whenever possible.
#3: Thoroughly Document the Extent of Your Damages
The other tip to know when it comes to financial recovery is to thoroughly document the extent of your damages. Documenting your damages may take time and effort, and so may need a bit of assiduousness to get this accomplished. For example, if only your vehicle is damaged, you may need to acquire several professional estimates regarding the cost to repair the damage; acquiring professional estimates takes time, and so this won’t happen instantly. If you suffer physical injuries, or there is additional damage to other pieces of property (i.e. items in your vehicle), you need to document that damage as well. For physical injuries, this means hospital bills, costs for medication or medical equipment, and surgery costs (when applicable). If you don’t have good documentation on the costs of the damage caused by the driver, financial recovery is much more difficult (and may even be impossible).
Contact the Ted Law Firm for Additional Resources
If you would like additional information on recovering financially in a collision involving a driver under the influence of marijuana, or another related matter, connect with one of the Car Accident Lawyers at the Ted Law Firm today by calling 888-333-5555.
Attorney Ted Sink, founder of The Ted Law Firm, is a Yale, Stanford Business School, and Charleston School of Law graduate and former marketing executive who built a 7-figure law practice, earning millions for his clients. With experience in both law and advertising, Ted has been recognized in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and the ABA Journal. He speaks at industry conferences on marketing and law firm management, sharing insights from his unique background to help other firms grow. When not working, Ted enjoys traveling, diving, and dog-sitting golden retrievers.
