Some days bring unmentionable grief. This reported case is a real tragedy, and something that did not need to happen. It is never ok to drink and drive, and it is never ok to use peer pressure to get your friends to ride with you. Life is full of choices and the choice to not drink is the most responsible one. In this story, the driver made two bad choices, and cost a young man his life.
The family of the dead young man filed a wrongful death lawsuit to make a point – that you should not drink and drive, and if you do, you need to take responsibility for the consequences. This was not the only lawsuit filed in this instance, as the parents of another dead teen also filed a lawsuit, along with a lawsuit filed by the family of the only survivor of the wreck, a young female.
20-year-old John Doe was charged with a misdemeanor for reckless driving as it appears he was chasing another teen’s vehicle at one in the morning down a rural road. What may have started out as a race ended horribly. Four young men were riding in a truck that was allegedly chasing the other teen’s car. At trial, the driver of the truck said the chase ended before the accident and they only knew about the accident because they continued driving in the same direction and saw the single car wreck. They did not stop to offer help.
What caused the chase in the first place? Evidently, the teens in the car were suspected of stealing plastic shot glasses from a party. Is this really worth losing your life? The 18-year-old driver of the car failed to make a curve because he was drunk with a blood alcohol content of .19 and was driving at 94 miles per hour. Added to this, the legal drinking age in that state is 21, and the underage drinker got caught in a deadly night out.
The truck driver who chased the car egged the teen into going faster, and was also driving under the influence. He was sentenced to probation and additionally charged with unlawfully purchasing alcohol as a minor. As you can see, there are a number of factors that once combined create a fatal accident. Will the wrongful death lawsuits against the car driver be successful? Likely, even though the young people riding in the car (and truck) knowingly got into a vehicle with a drunk driver. The bottom line is the driver was negligent on two counts: driving while drunk and speeding. The end results speak for themselves.
Have you been in a similar situation? If so, you need the experienced legal advice from an Arkansas injury lawyer. You need to know what your rights are, how they apply to your situation, what will happen next and what compensation you may expect for your injuries. Never try to settle a case like this without consulting a knowledgeable Arkansas accident lawyer. They deal with the insurance companies, so you do not need to.
Michael G. Smith is anArkansas personal injury lawyer and Arkansas business dispute lawyer, practicing personal injury law
and veteran’s benefits in Arkansas. Learn more by visiting Arkansaslawhelp.com
