Everyone acknowledges that driving under the influence of alcohol creates deadly risks. Most people consider the drunk driver to be in the greatest danger of suffering injuries or getting killed, but harm can come to anyone who rides with or crosses the path of an impaired driver.
LEARN MORE
- The Deadly Realities of Drunk Driving
- Overcorrection Can Be Deadly in Auto Accidents
- A Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer Describes the Dangers of Rollover Crashes
A fatal truck rollover crash in Virginia Beach, VA, sadly illustrated why drinking and driving is so reckless and harmful. According to police, the at-fault driver ran off of Seaboard Road while going around a curve. The driver then overcorrected his steering while attempting to return all four wheels to the pavement, and the truck rolled onto it roof.
The passenger in the vehicle died at the scene. Police said that man was not wearing a seat belt.
Consuming alcohol before getting behind the wheel makes a person more likely to speed, depart from a marked lane, commit steering errors and neglect to remind everyone to buckle up. While a perfectly sober driver can engage in each of these negligent acts, driving drunk is reckless all by itself because the likelihood of acting irresponsibly is recognized and ignored.
Police charged the DUI driver with manslaughter and other offenses, and the family of the passenger who lost his life likely had grounds for filing a wrongful death lawsuit. (Virginia allows claims even when crash victims do not use seat belts.)
But seeking justice and compensation after a completely preventable death in a completely avoidable crash may bring the deceased man’s grieving loved one’s little comfort. Neither, surely, will bring the 25-year-old victim back.
EJL