Posted in Drunk Driving on February 19, 2015
A young boy from Athens, Tennessee has died from injuries he sustained in an accident while riding in a car being driven by his father. According to an article from local ABC affiliate WTVC News, neither the boy nor his nine-year-old brother were wearing seat belts when the car lost control and drove off the road, crashing into a tree. Both children were seriously injured in the crash, and the younger boy sadly died in the hospital two days after the accident. Police believe that the boys’ father was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident, and he has been placed under arrest for the crimes of DUI and violation of probation.
The Problem of Drunk and Intoxicated Driving in Tennessee
Drivers who choose to drive while drunk or intoxicated from drugs are a leading cause of the accidents resulting in injuries and deaths on Tennessee roads each year, and our state’s drunk driving laws are designed to reduce the harms caused by drunk drivers. A driver can be charged with driving under the influence in Tennessee if the percentage of alcohol in their blood, or BAC, is at or above .08% while they are in control of a vehicle.
An intoxicated driver who is involved in an accident causing injury or death can also be held civilly responsible for the effects of their reckless decision. When a drunk or intoxicated driver causes an accident, a victim of that accident can file a civil Tennessee personal injury lawsuit and potentially receive substantial compensation for the damages and injuries caused by the driver’s negligence, even when no criminal charges are filed by the State of Tennessee.
How a Drunk Driving Lawsuit Works
Accident victims are generally entitled to compensation for their injuries when the accident was caused by the negligence or recklessness of another driver, but proving negligence can be very difficult in an auto accident case. Accidents happen unexpectedly, and the closest witnesses are usually too involved in what they were doing at the time to accurately and impartially recall what happened.
When a driver involved in an accident is intoxicated or gets cited for DUI, it can be much easier for accident victims to show the driver’s negligence and hold them responsible for the accident. Not every accident involving a driver with alcohol or drugs in their system can be blamed entirely on the allegedly drunk driver, but when an accident victim can show that the other driver was intoxicated, the case for liability improves immensely.
Have You Been Injured in a Drunk Driving Accident?
If you or a loved one has been the victim of an accident caused by a drunk driver, the sooner you obtain competent legal representation, the sooner you will be able to feel whole again. Drunk drivers take so much from the lives of innocent Tennessee drivers every year, and the skilled accident attorneys at Hardin Law want to help you with your case. We handle the toughest parts of preparing our clients’ cases, so that accident victims can focus on rebuilding their lives after an accident. At Hardin Law, we represent clients in a variety of accident and injury cases, including drunk driving accidents. Call us today to schedule a free consultation at (615) 200-1111 or fill out the form on our website.
See Related Blog Posts:
Mother and Son Killed after Leaving Their Vehicle to Help Crash Victims on I-65, Nashville Injury Lawyer’s Blog, published February 17, 2014.
Woman Driving Under the Influence Crashes into Two Cars in Ft. Campbell, Nashville Injury Lawyer’s Blog, published December 19, 2014.
