It’s hard to believe, but even after all the warnings and stories of tragedy, people still choose to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. Sadly, their inebriation is the very thing that causes them to think that they are perfectly fine to drive. Once behind the wheel, there’s no telling what havoc they’ll wreak. That’s why the newspapers are filled with stories of drunk driving accidents day in and day out.
It happened again on Louisiana’s roads in early July. Investigations into the crash show that a pickup driven by a 42-year-old man was heading down LA 410 when it rolled off the road and flipped. A 35-year-old woman who was riding in the passenger seat was hurled from the truck and the driver was nearly ejected himself. The woman was killed in the accident and the man who was driving was taken to the hospital and is being treated for serious injuries.
When he gets out of the hospital, the man will be faces a range of charges, including DWI first offense, vehicular homicide, driving without a license, reckless operation and several others.
What can we learn from a tragic accident like this one? Aside from the devastating consequences of driving under the influence, there’s a legal lesson here. It’s this: even though the man has been charged and may be convicted of several offenses, that does nothing to bring reparation to the family who must deal with the financial consequences of their family member’s death.
That’s why we have civil courts. By speaking with an attorney, victims may be able to bring a case against a drunk driver and get compensation for things like medical expenses, funeral costs and a loss of wages.
Source: wbrz.com, “LSP accuse driver of being drunk in deadly crash,” Russell Jones, July 13, 2015
