Last year, two young women were killed in a drunk-driving accident on the Sawgrass Expressway in Florida. According to one news report by the Washington Post, the accident occurred when a drunk driver began traveling down the Expressway the wrong way, ultimately colliding head-on with another car. The evidence suggested that she was traveling at 80 miles per hour.
While the police were conducting their investigation into the accident, they discovered that not only was the driver who caused the fatal accident drunk, but also her blood-alcohol concentration was twice the legal limit. Additionally, minutes before the fatal accident she had tweeted “2 drunk 2 care.” Those who had the chance to view the woman’s social media sites before they were removed have told reporters that the woman was a self-proclaimed “pothead princess” and had posted several other comments about her recreational drug and alcohol use.
Evidently, a Florida court recently sentenced the 22-year-old woman to 24 years in jail for her role in the fatal accident. Evidence presented to the court suggested that the woman drank two fishbowl-sized drinks before getting into her car that fateful night. At the time of the accident, the woman was underage and did not have a driver’s license.
Drunk Driving Accidents on DC Roads
As in Florida, it is illegal to drive drunk in Washington, DC. Any time a person’s blood-alcohol concentration is at or above .08, they are legally intoxicated and cannot legally operate a motor vehicle. That limit decreases to .04 if the driver is operating a commercial vehicle. For minors, there is a zero-tolerance law, meaning that the law does not permit minors to have any alcohol in their system.
It is critically important for the safety of those around that drivers refrain from drinking and driving. However, given the reality of the situation, it is unrealistic to expect that everyone will act responsibly. Therefore, when an accident does occur due to someone’s decision to drink alcohol or take drugs and then get behind the wheel, any person who is injured as a result may be able to hold the responsible party liable in a court of law. To learn more about DUI accidents in the DC area, contact a dedicated personal injury attorney.
Have You Been Injured in a DC Drunk Driving Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been injured or killed in a serious Maryland drunk driving accident, you may be entitled to monetary damages based on the other driver’s decision to get behind the wheel after drinking. However, even in the most straightforward case, there are time limits and other procedural rules that must be followed in order to secure a successful recovery. The skilled attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have decades of combined experience bringing all kinds of Maryland personal injury cases, including those brought against drunk drivers. To learn more, and to schedule a free consultation, call 410-654-3600 today.
More Blog Posts:
Maryland Appellate Court Defines Limitations on Injury Victims’ Insurance Coverage, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, May 1, 2015
Blue Bell Creamery Recalls All Products over Listeria Concerns, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, April 28, 2015