What are your rights if you were injured in a crash where one of the drivers was impaired by alcohol or drugs?
First of all, in Orange County as well as in the State of New York, you are covered by no-fault benefits up to the first $50k of medical or wage losses within 30 days of notice, regardless of fault. You’re allowed to sue for pain and suffering if you’ve cleared the “serious injury threshold,” including if there was a death or dismemberment, a bone fracture, significant disfigurement, or 90 out of 180 days of substantial disability. If the responsible party was provably drunk or impaired by other substances, proven by police reports, it could be powerful evidence of gross negligence.
Another possibility is that the court could award punitive damages, although they often can be uncollectable judgments. It’s possible that third-party claims from “dram shops” (i.e., bars and restaurants that overserved an intoxicated person), private hosts who served alcohol to minors, the vehicle’s owner, or an employer if the intoxicated party was driving a company car, could also be found partially liable.
In a drunk driving car crash case, you may be eligible to seek compensation for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and rehab costs. By giving us a call at 845-600-0000 for a free consultation at our personal injury law offices in New Windsor, NY, our experienced legal team can begin the process of conducting an investigation, collecting police reports and other documentation, and engaging accident reconstruction specialists to determine what contributed to the crash and your injuries.
Here are some of the statistics about drunk and impaired driving crashes in Newburgh, NY and the surrounding county:
1. There is an impaired driver crash every day in Orange County
In 2022, there were 388 impaired driver crashes in Orange County. In 2023, the same number happend again with 388, although the number of personal injuries went down from 136 to 130, and the number of fatalities went down from 30 to 19.
2. 30% of impaired driver crashes result in personal injuries in Orange County
In 2022, 136 of 388 crashes resulted in personal injuries. That includes 18 in the Town of Wallkill, 13 in the Town of Newburgh, 17 in the City of Newburgh, 8 in Montgomery, and 7 in new Windsor, Warwick, Monroe and Woodbury each.
In 2023, 130 of 388 total crashes resulted in personal injuries. That includes 16 in Wallkill, 12 in the Town of Newburgh, 15 in New Windsor, 17 in the City of Newburgh, and 9 in Warwick.
3. Between 5-10% of Orange County drunk driving crashes are fatal
In 2022, a tragic 30 of 388 impaired or drunk car crashes in Dutchess County were fatal. That includes three in Goshen, four in Wallkill, three in the City of Newburgh, and two each in Woodbury, Crawford, Deerpark, Montgomery and the Town of Newburgh.
In 2023, the rate dropped to 19 of 388 crashes. That includes four in the city of Newburgh, two in Wawayanda, two in Greenville, and two in Wallkill.
4. Most Orange County impaired crashes involve alcohol
In 2022, 51 crashes that caused personal injuries involved alcohol, 23 involved illegal drugs, and eight involved prescription medications. In 2023, 44 involved alcohol, 34 involved illegal drugs, and two involved prescription medications.
5. Newburgh, Wallkill and Montgomery Have the Most Impaired Driving Crashes
| Rank | Municipality (2023) | 2023 Crashes | ▲ vs 2022 | Fatal | Personal-Injury | Property-Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wallkill (Town) | 54 | +8 (+17 %) | 2 | 16 | 36 |
| 2 | Newburgh (City) | 46 | +1 (+2 %) | 0 | 17 | 29 |
| 3 | Newburgh (Town) | 37 | +1 (+3 %) | 4 | 12 | 21 |
| 4 | New Windsor (Town) | 31 | +8 (+35 %) | 0 | 15 | 16 |
| 5 | Middletown (City) | 25 | +17 (+213 %) | 0 | 7 | 18 |
| 6 | Warwick (Town) | 21 | +2 (+11 %) | 0 | 9 | 12 |
| 7 | Montgomery (Town) | 16 | –8 (–33 %) | 1 | 6 | 9 |
| 8 | Wawayanda (Town) | 11 | –2 (–15 %) | 2 | 3 | 6 |
6. Impaired Drivers Usually Hurt Themselves
Of the 168 total impaired driving crashes in Orange County that resulted in injuries in 2023, 107 of them injured the impaired driver themselves, and 61 injured someone else. There were 20 fatalities, 48 serious injuries, 46 moderate injuries, and 95 minor injuries.
7. Three fourths of impaired drivers in crashes were male
Of the 377 total substance-related injury car crashes that were tracked in 2023, 285 of the drivers were male, and 92 were female.