Louisiana residents who are involved in motor vehicle accidents might assume that the process of receiving their fair compensation should happen naturally and reasonably. Sadly, this is not always the case and people must work hard to ensure that their rights are properly protected and respected. An example of this can be seen in the case of a woman and her two children who were involved in an accident involving a drunk driver in 2012.
It is only now, nearly five years after the accident, that the family members are receiving their fair compensation. At the time of the crash, records indicate that the physician who hit the family members had a blood alcohol content of 0.21 percent. Somehow the man’s BAC was not recorded so he was not arrested for drunk driving. Initially he was only cited for two traffic infractions.
Two years later, a grand jury indicated the man on charges of vehicular negligence injury. Still, no driving while inxoticated charges were filed. After entering a guilty plea to the negligence injury charges, the man’s prison sentence was suspended, he was ordered to pay $10,000 to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, another $6,000 in fines and to serve five years in home incarceration. Now, in early 2017, a judge has awarded the mother and her children a combined $1.3 million award for damages from the 2012 accident.
When an accident happens, Louisiana residents may find it beneficial to reach out to an attorney. This may offer insight into how best to pursue compensation.
Source: Louisiana Record, “Jury awards $1.3M to victims of alleged drunk driver after questions of conflict of interest,” Hank Strikler, February 1, 2017