According to a new research study put together by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States car crash death rate was more than twice the average of other high-income countries in 2013. Car crash fatalities are a serious problem in the U.S., particularly over the summer months when the 100 Deadliest Days put teens and all drivers at higher risk of being injured in a serious accident.

The study also identified that Americans are more likely to spend a greater amount of time in their cars than other individuals in wealthy countries. One of the major reasons for car accidents in the U.S. is drunken driving. In fact, it accounts for one-third of traffic accidents in the U.S. Despite the fact that all laws across all states prohibit drunken driving, and the fact that there has been a great deal of education and research studies showing just how dangerous it can be, victims are the one who end up paying the price when they have been hit in a drunk driving accident. Crash fatalities can leave behind family members who struggle to cope with a senseless death.

Oftentimes a drunk driver doesn’t even realize that he or she has caused a severe accident and may even leave the scene of the crime facing both hit and run criminal penalties as well as civil penalties in a personal injury lawsuit. If you have already been injured in a drunk driving accident, you may have rights to recover compensation by filing a lawsuit.