Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) serves as a critical piece of evidence in drunk driving accident claims throughout Wisconsin, particularly in Green Bay where alcohol-related crashes remain a persistent concern. BAC measures the percentage of alcohol in a person's bloodstream, with Wisconsin legally defining intoxication at 0.08% for most drivers and lower thresholds for commercial drivers (0.04%) and underage drivers (0.00%). Following a collision, law enforcement typically collects BAC evidence through breathalyzer tests, blood draws, or field sobriety tests. This scientific measurement becomes pivotal in establishing negligence, as it provides objective proof of impairment that strengthens a victim's personal injury claim. Understanding how BAC evidence connects to Wisconsin's comparative negligence laws, dram shop liability considerations, and potential criminal proceedings can significantly impact compensation recovery for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage sustained in drunk driving accidents in the Green Bay area.

Legal Rights and Considerations

Wisconsin's drunk driving laws create significant legal implications for personal injury claims in Green Bay. Under Wisconsin's OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) statutes, drivers with a BAC of 0.08% or higher face both criminal penalties and civil liability. The state follows a modified comparative negligence system, allowing victims to recover damages even if partially at fault, provided their negligence doesn't exceed the defendant's. Wisconsin's statute of limitations requires filing personal injury claims within three years of the accident date. Insurance considerations include Wisconsin's minimum liability requirements ($25,000/$50,000/$10,000), though victims may pursue additional compensation through uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage or through dram shop claims against establishments that served visibly intoxicated patrons. Available compensation may include economic damages (medical expenses, lost income), non-economic damages (pain and suffering), and in egregious cases, punitive damages designed to punish particularly reckless behavior. An experienced Green Bay drunk driving crash law firm(link is external) will handle all aspects of the legal claim.

Blood alcohol concentration testing can be a factor in all kinds of drunk driving accidents. Click the links below to get information from an experienced attorney for accidents and injuries including:

• Green Bay car accident attorney(link is external);
• Green Bay pedestrian accident attorney(link is external);
• Green Bay motorcycle accident lawyer(link is external);
• Green Bay truck accident lawyer(link is external);
• Green Bay bicycle accident attorney(link is external);
• Green Bay fatal accident lawyer(link is external)

Related Resources

Relevant Local Courts:

• Brown County Circuit Court
• Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District III
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin (Green Bay Division)

Support Services for Accident Victims:

• Wisconsin Department of Transportation Crash Victim Resources
• MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Wisconsin Chapter
• Brown County Victim/Witness Assistance Program
• Brain Injury Alliance of Wisconsin
• Green Bay Area Support Groups for Trauma Survivors

Links to State Traffic Laws and Regulations:

• Wisconsin Department of Transportation OWI Laws
• Wisconsin Legislative Documents on Chapter 346 (Rules of the Road)
• Wisconsin State Patrol Crash Investigation Unit
• Wisconsin Department of Justice Victim Resource Center
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services Substance Abuse Treatment Locator

Return to the Green Bay drunk driving accident statistics page