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9/25/2011
Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton
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DUI Driver From Virginia Beach Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit for $200,000

A man who killed a couple while driving under the influence of alcohol in Virginia Beach, VA, ended up in jail. The family of the people killed by his actions got only $200,000 after settling a lawsuit over the wrongful deaths. Christopher Dockiewicz, was convicted of driving under the influence and of two counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter following the January 2010 crash that claimed the lives of an English couple, Anthony and Jean Tonking, the Virginian-Pilot reported.

The accident occurred in Princess Anne Road.  Dockiewicz was en route to picking up his son from school when he crashed into the Tonkings' vehicle at a speed of at least 77 mph, according to police evidence. His blood-alcohol level was almost twice the legal limit for driving, the newspaperreported.

The Tonkings' daughter filed two wrongful-death suits in circuit court. Dockiewicz and his insurance company, USAA Casualty Insurance Company, agreed to pay $100,000 in each case. This relatively small sum seems unfair but is likely the extent of the automobile accident policy of the drunk driver.

As experienced Virginia Beach-based accident injury attorneys, my colleagues and I see too many cases in which drunken drivers cause injuries or even deaths. We recently reported how a drunken driver from Virginia, VA received a sentence of 7-21 years for causing an accident in New York State that resulted in the death of a man.

Even when accident victims survive, their lives may never be the same again. Earlier this year we reported on how fundraisers were being held for a teacher from Newport News, VA, who has long-term care needs after she was hit by a 17-year-old driver who was charged with DUI offenses.

Our lawyers don't defend drunk drivers. We sue them. This year one f our clients, a 9-year-old boy from Virginia Beach, received a confidential settlement related to an October 2009 accident in which a drunk driver charged with her second DUI offense.

This article explains how to recover damages from drunk drivers and the rights of victims.

DM
 

Category: Car Accident Lawyers & Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

Labels: accident Attorney Beach Cooper couple Crash Death driver Drunk DUI injury killed lawyer personal speeding suit VA Virginia wrongful


 

Best Injury Lawyers in Virginiainjury, lawyer

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia Beach, VA-based injury law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and we have handled thousands of car accident, truck wreck, and motorcycle crash cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself.

We've handled car accident cases throughout Virginia including Richmond, Fairfax, Alexandria, and the Hampton Roads region including Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Portsmouth, Newport News, and Suffolk.

Our primary office is in Virginia Beach at the intersection of Diamond Springs Road and Northampton Boulevard. We also have an office on Eaton Street in Hampton. All of our accident injury attorneys were raised in Virginia and have deep roots with the community.

Our Virginia injury law firm has been recognized as one of the best injury law firms in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report since 2010. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed on the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009 and included among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Rick and Jim were named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of lawyers receive. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms.

We also offer free special reports on distracted driving and the Best Guide to Car Accident Injuries in Virginia.

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer a free, initial confidential injury case consultation, so call us at 1-800-752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail and we will get back to you shortly.




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