Woman Files Suit after Son's Death in Auto Wreck
The mother of a 20-year-old man that was killed in an automobile accident involving a 22-year-old man has filed a lawsuit against the 22-year-old. The victim’s mother claims the 22-year-old driver was driving under the influence of alcohol that directly caused the victim’s death. The accident occurred when the defendant in the suit collided with the victim’s van. The victim died later of the injuries that he suffered.
The lawsuit also names the restaurant where the 22-year-old driver had been drinking, arguing that the employees continued to serve him alcohol even when he was visibly intoxicated. The restaurant’s owner stated they have a strict policy to not serve alcohol to patrons who appear intoxicated. Police said the defendant showed signs of intoxication right after the crash had occurred and he had a blood alcohol level of .22.
In some cases when a person is killed in an accident of some kind, there is not always a clear distinction as to who is to blame for the accident no matter how much the victim’s family may want to blame the accident on somebody. However, in this case it is clear that the 22-year-old driver should be held accountable for his actions because he made a conscious decision, despite poor judgment, to get behind the wheel of his vehicle knowing he was intoxicated.
People always feel they can handle drinking a certain amount before they are too intoxicated to drive. However, any amount of alcohol that raises the blood alcohol level above .08 is considered over the legal limit and you could face significant penalties, especially if you are involved in an automobile accident. In this case, although the restaurant claimed they have a policy that prevents them from serving alcohol to patrons that are clearly intoxicated, if witnesses saw the employees continue to serve alcohol to the defendant, or if they saw the defendant get alcohol from his friends, the restaurant could be held accountable for not following their policy and allowing the defendant to continue to drink.
Getting behind the wheel while intoxicated can pose a serious danger not only to the driver but as this incident demonstrates, it can also pose a danger to those around them. Incidents like this one could easily be avoided and the victim’s family deserves to have some sort of justice on their behalf for the loss of their loved ones.
