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 Dutchess County as well as in New York State, you will be covered by no-fault benefits up to the first $50k of medical or wage losses within 30 days of notice, regardless of fault. You could also sue for pain and suffering if you’ve cleared a “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, especially when proven by a police investigation, you would have powerful evidence of gross negligence.
The court could also award punitive damages, although they often can be uncollectable judgments. It’s possible that an additional claim could be made that “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, are 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 Poughkeepsie, 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 Poughkeepsie, NY and the surrounding county:
1. There is an impaired driver crash every two out of three days in Dutchess County
In 2022, there were 229 impaired driver crashes in Dutchess County. In 2023, that went up 241. According to preliminary statistics, it went down to 201 in 2024.
2. One in three impaired driver crashes result in personal injuries in Dutchess County
In 2022, 77 of 229 impaired driver crashes resulted in personal injuries. That includes 14 of 26 in the Town of Wappinger, 10 of 33 in the Town of East Fishkill, 7 of 21 in the Town of Poughkeepsie, 7 of 14 in the Town of Hyde Park, and 5 of 11 in Pleasant Valley.
In 2023, 84 of 241 crashes resulted in a personal injury. That includes 16 of 39 in East Fishkill, 10 of 26 in La Grange, 7 of 24 in Wappinger, 4 of 7 in Washington, and 5 of 18 in Fishkill.
3. One in twenty Dutchess County drunk driving crashes is fatal
In 2022, there were 14 fatal impaired driving crashes out of 229. There were three fatalities in Fishkill, two in La Grange and Poughkeepsie each, and several more scattered across Beacon, Fishkill, Union Vale, East Fishkill and Wappinger.
In 2023, 10 of 241 drunk or impaired driving crashes were fatal. That includes four in Hyde Park, and one each in Poughkeepsie, Wappinger, Stanford, Washington, Amenia and Wappinger Falls.
4. Most Dutchess County impaired crashes involve alcohol
In 2022, 62 personal injury car crashes in Dutchess involved alcohol, 10 involved illegal drugs, and two involved prescription medication. In 2023, 69 involved alcohol, 9 involved illegal drugs, and two involved prescription medication.
5. East Fishkill, Wappinger and La Grange Have the Most Impaired Driving Crashes
When it comes to impaired driving, East Fishkill, Wappinger and La Grange have the most incidents that involve property damage or injuries.
| Rank | Municipality (2023 crashes) | ▲ vs 2022 | Fatal | Injury | Property-Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Fishkill – 39 | +18% | 0 | 16 | 23 |
| 2 | Wappinger – 24 | –8% | 1 | 7 | 16 |
| 3 | La Grange – 26 | +100% | 2 | 9 | 15 |
| 4 | Hyde Park – 21 | +50% | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| 5 | Fishkill – 15 | –17% | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| 6 | Poughkeepsie (Town) – 16 | –24% | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| 7 | Beacon – 6 | –45% | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 8 | Poughkeepsie (City) – 8 | 0 % | 0 | 1 | 7 |
6. Impaired Drivers Usually Hurt Themselves
Of the 117 total impaired driving crashes in Dutchess County that resulted in injuries in 2023, 66 of them injured the impaired driver themselves, and 25 injured someone else. There were 10 fatalities, 22 serious injuries, 28 moderate injuries, and 55 minor injuries.
7. Over two thirds of impaired drivers in crashes were male
Of the 233 total injury substance-related crashes that were tracked in 2023, 165 of the drivers were male, and 68 were female.