Articles Posted in Drunk Driving Victims

An Eagles Lodge that served too much alcohol to a patron, who in turn crashed his truck into a motorcyclist, causing permanent injury, has been ordered to pay $11.1 million in damages by a Florida jury.

In Wilde v. Okeechobee Aerie 4137, the motorcyclist and his wife alleged that the four bartenders working for tips “grossly overserved” the 72-year-old patron to the point that he was severely intoxicated.

Cape Coral drunk driving accident lawyers understand that testimony at trial indicated the patron had been inside the club, consuming alcohol from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Other patrons offered him a ride, but he insisted on driving, saying if it got bad, he would sleep it off in his truck. Some described him as “falling off the bar stool.”
Continue reading ›

Lawmakers in Tallahassee are weighing a proposal to test DUI offenders’ blood-alcohol levels twice daily – as opposed to forcing them to install ignition interlock devices on their vehicles. Advocates say this approach is more effective long-term in reducing repeat DUI offenses, as well as other crimes related to alcohol and substance abuse.

The latter approach has been in place since 2008, and DUI injury attorneys in Naples are aware of a marked level of success.

However, many anti-drunk driving advocates say it doesn’t go far enough. The debate among them isn’t so much whether the laws should be changed or strengthened, but what that new law should look like.
Continue reading ›

In an incident that sets a poor example for area youth – and perhaps a bad tone for the upcoming summer season – a 19-year-old Boston Red Sox prospect was recently arrested for DUI on Fort Myers Beach. It’s the second time a team prospect has been arrested for the offense in as many years, and the most recent occurred just prior to the start of Alcohol Awareness Month.

Thankfully, no one was injured in either situation, but our Fort Myers drunk driving accident attorneys have seen far too many cases where a night out involving teens and alcohol ends in tragedy.

As we approach prom and graduate season, it’s important to point out the high risk of potential danger to younger drivers.
Continue reading ›

In Florida, bar owners and bartenders can be held liable if they serve to patrons who are underage or visibly intoxicated, and that patron is then involved in a fatal or injury-causing crash.

However, valets do not hold the same kind of liability under our current Dram Shop Laws, and this is unfortunate, given that they could serve as the last line of defense. If a bartender who pours the drink can be held liable, why shouldn’t the valet who hands a staggering patron his keys be held to a similar standard?

Our Naples drunk driving accident lawyers recognize that the main issue is the fact that a valet is not a liquor licensee, and therefore is not held to the same legal standards. However, some companies have created policies that allow for shuttle services to be provided for those who are visibly too drunk to drive.
Continue reading ›

In northern Florida recently, one spring breaker was killed and another faces felony charges of DUI manslaughter. Detectives say an intoxicated 18-year-old from Tennessee driving a Ford Taurus struck a scoot car head-on, ejecting the 22-year-old driver of that vehicle, also from Tennessee, and killing him.

Our Fort Myers Beach injury lawyers know that drunk driving is perhaps one of the most common hazards that spring and summer breaks present.

But there are many other potential risks that should not be overlooked as visitors flock to South Florida for respite from the bitter winter. Spring break in particular is viewed as a kind of rite of passage for college students. But it’s imperative that youths be aware of potential dangers.
Continue reading ›

While many states have in the past several years approved the legal use and sale of marijuana for medicinal purposes, there is no state in the union where it’s legal to drive under the influence of the drug.

But our Fort Myers car accident lawyers recognize that isn’t stopping people, which especially concerning here in Florida as support swells for the passage of medical marijuana legislation here in the Sunshine State.

In a study published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers from Columbia University say that marijuana was detected in the dead bodies of three times more drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2010 than in 1999. This certainly speaks to the increased availability of the drug, as the number of states where it is now legal has reached 20 and more – including Florida – may be on the horizon.
Continue reading ›

Super Bowl Sunday annually is one of the most dangerous times of the year for drunk driving deaths.

If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party, make sure you follow some simple rules so that your guests drive home sober. Not only may you be preventing the tragic loss of a friend or loved one, but playing it safe could keep you from being financially responsible for a guest’s drunk driving accident.

Our Fort Myers personal injury attorneys have long supported efforts to combat drunk driving in South Florida, including sobriety checkpoints and the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Continue reading ›

The number of weekend drinking and driving accidents is on the decline, but it’s not producing a drop in the number of drunk driving fatalities. Officials with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) compared results of national roadside breath tests administered on Friday and Saturday nights in 48 states in 1986, 1996 and 2007 with corresponding information on deadly accidents and driver alcohol use from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). In the roadside surveys, a representative sample of drivers across the country was asked to voluntarily take a breath-alcohol test.

Our Naples accident lawyers note the percentage of drivers who were under the influence of alcohol at night dropped in each of the roadside surveys, but the proportion of those killed by drivers who were legally drunk has remained about a third since 1994, after dropping from nearly half in 1982.

Canada is also seeing a similar trend.

To help to solve the puzzle, officials looked at differences in the sampling. They looked at driver characteristics, drugged driving factors and technological countermeasures. One believe drugs besides alcohol are playing a bigger role in fatal crashes, but so far the data is inconclusive.
Continue reading ›

With the holiday season, drunk driving risks skyrocket. With all of the holiday parties and get-togethers with friends, family members and coworkers, drinking is inevitable — but drinking and driving doesn’t have to be.

To help to combat this seasonal spike in drunk driving injury risks, officials with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) are teaming up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

“The holiday period is a time for celebration, but it’s also a time when our roads become more dangerous and deadly” explained Col. David Brierton with the FHP.
Continue reading ›

The month of December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month and with good reason. With all of our holiday parties and gatherings, many will be celebrating the occasion with a few drinks. Unfortunately, many of these celebrators will be hopping in their vehicle and driving home afterward.

Officials with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) use the month of December to raise awareness about the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Bruce and Cheryl Scheiner and the entire Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner family has long been supporters of MADD and local law enforcement in the fight against the devastating consequences of drunk driving.

Our Fort Myers drunk driving accident lawyers understand that the month of December is one of the busiest months on our roadways. It’s also one of the most dangerous times of the year because of the increase in drunk drivers. During December of last year, there were more than 800 people killed in drunk driving car accidents in the U.S. Alcohol-impaired motor vehicle crashes cost more than an estimated $37 billion annually.

We want to make sure that everyone enjoys this joyous time of the year, but we want to make sure that everyone enjoys it safely.
Continue reading ›