The following is a guest post by Philadelphia wrongful death attorneys at Anapol Schwartz:
Auto accidents take far too many lives in Illinois and most of these fatal crashes are entirely preventable. Drivers who operate their vehicles while under the influence of alcohol or drugs not only put their own lives at risk; they jeopardize the safety of other occupants in their vehicle and the lives of others on the road.
A trial for an Illinois wrongful death drunk driving accident has begun in which a 26-year-old woman is accused of driving with a blood alcohol level of .124% and causing an accident that killed five teenagers on February 11, 2007. Accident reconstruction experts noted a high probability of speed being involved in the fatal crash, contributing to the driver’s loss of control and collision with a telephone pole.
It is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08% in Illinois and all other states. Drivers are required under “implied consent” laws to submit to a breath, blood, or urine test if suspected of driving under the influence (DUI). When serious injury or wrongful death occurs as a result of a drunk driving accident, the drunk driver can be held both civilly and criminally responsible. Dram shop laws hold individuals liable for serving visibly intoxicated persons alcohol that later inflict harm on others, themselves or cause damage to property. If the sale of alcohol is the proximate cause of the intoxication, plaintiffs may receive compensation for damages under dram shop laws.
Although no amount of money can ever replace the loss of a loved one, a wrongful death attorney will help a plaintiff obtain full and just compensation for funeral expenses, medical bills, grief, loss of monetary support, loss of companionship, and pain and suffering of the survivor. Punitive damages may also be sought to reprimand those responsible for a wrongful death and prevent them from harming others again in the future.
The Harrisburg wrongful death lawyers at Anapol Schwartz have years of experience in auto accident and liquor liability litigation. The Plaintiffs’ firm serves injury victims throughout the state of Pennsylvania and can be reached at 866-735-2792.