Be On the Lookout for Drunk Drivers This Holiday Season

The holiday season in Charleston is a time of celebration, family gatherings, and community events—but it also brings a dangerous spike in drunk driving accidents. From Thanksgiving through New Year’s, alcohol consumption rises significantly, and unfortunately, so does the number of impaired drivers on South Carolina roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 30% of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. involve a drunk driver, with the highest concentration occurring during the holiday months.

At Taylor Anderson Law Firm, we know how devastating it can be to suffer an injury—or lose a loved one—due to someone else’s careless and reckless decision to drink and drive. If you’ve been injured in a crash involving an impaired driver, you have legal options, and our Charleston-based personal injury team is here to help you pursue the full compensation you deserve.

Why the Holidays See a Surge in DUI Accidents

Holiday parties, office gatherings, and festive nights out often involve alcohol. While many people plan ahead and arrange rides or designate drivers, too many still take the risk of getting behind the wheel while impaired. In South Carolina alone, hundreds of DUI-related collisions occur each year, and December is consistently one of the deadliest months for alcohol-related traffic deaths.

The combination of increased traffic, poor decision-making, and late-night celebrations creates a perfect storm for tragedy. Even if you’re sober and driving cautiously, you’re still at risk when others around you are impaired.

Injured by a Drunk Driver in Charleston? You May Have a Case

If you’ve been hurt in an accident caused by a drunk driver, South Carolina law allows you to pursue a personal injury claim against the at-fault individual. This could include compensation for:

• Medical bills and future medical expenses
• Lost wages or reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage
• Emotional distress

In fatal drunk driving crashes, surviving family members may also be eligible to file a wrongful death claim.

It’s important to act quickly. Evidence—such as police reports, witness statements, and blood alcohol test results—can be critical in building your case and recovering damages.

Can Bars, Liquor Stores or Restaurants Be Held Liable?

South Carolina does not have a specific “dram shop” law, but that doesn’t mean bars, restaurants, or other alcohol-selling establishments are immune from liability. Under the state’s negligence and liability statutes, it is possible to hold third parties accountable when they knowingly overserve alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person who then causes harm.

South Carolina courts have ruled in favor of injured parties in past cases by applying existing alcohol-sale laws combined with common law negligence principles. For example, if a bartender continues to serve someone who is visibly impaired and that person later injures someone in a DUI crash, the establishment may share responsibility for the damages.

Our legal team can investigate whether the driver was served alcohol at a business prior to the crash and whether that establishment violated its duty of care to the public.

How Taylor Anderson Law Firm Can Help

Based in Charleston, the Taylor Anderson Law Firm provides aggressive, compassionate representation for victims of DUI accidents throughout South Carolina. We conduct thorough investigations to identify all liable parties—whether it’s the drunk driver, the business that overserved them, or both—and fight to hold them fully accountable for the harm they caused.

Our approach includes:

• Reviewing police and toxicology reports
• Interviewing witnesses and gathering surveillance footage
• Investigating the driver’s actions before the crash
• Identifying potential third-party negligence
• You focus on healing—we’ll handle the legal fight.

Stay Safe—and Know Your Rights

As you enjoy the holidays around Charleston, be vigilant. Stay off the roads during peak drinking hours if you can, always designate a sober driver, and never assume others are being as cautious as you are. But if tragedy strikes and you or a loved one is injured due to someone else’s reckless decision to drive drunk, don’t wait to seek legal counsel.

Taylor Anderson Law Firm is here to guide you through the legal process with experience, integrity, and the determination to secure the compensation you need to recover and move forward.

Contact us today for a free consultation and learn how we can help you hold drunk drivers—and potentially the establishments that enabled them—accountable this holiday season.

Posted on behalf of Taylor Anderson Law Firm