WV Woman Arrested for DUI Causing Injury | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

A woman was arrested in Chapmanville WV on July 19 after the West Virginia State Police were dispatched after reports of a woman being dragged by a car.

When state troopers got to the scene, a 52 year old woman was driving the car when, she claimed, the passenger became irate and started to get out of the car. The other woman suffered serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

While the state trooper spoke with the woman who drove the vehicle, he noted that she was slurring her speech and could not stay steady on her feet.

She stated that she had taken xanax and oxycodone approximately 30 minutes before starting to drive. She then failed the horizontal gaze nystagmus, walk-and-turn, and one-legged stand field sobriety tests.

The woman was placed under arrest and charged with a felony count of driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury.

Our View

Our DUI attorneys in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina only represent the victims of drivers under the influence, and never the drunk drivers themselves.

A person who is charged with driving under the influence in West Virginia does not need to have a specific BAC or any alcohol in their system at all. Prescription drugs, such as the ones the woman admits she took, can impair the ability to drive just as much as alcohol.

Our DUI attorneys often sue convicted drunk drivers in civil court and are able to obtain sizable settlements from various insurance policies in effect for the driver and/or car occupants. For example, we won a $100,000 settlement for injuries caused by a drunk driver in Chesapeake VA. 

Anyone who is injured by a convicted drunk driver should discuss the case with a qualified personal injury attorney immediately.