One of the most dangerous mistakes a motorist can make is to drive drunk on our Fayetteville, North Carolina, roads. Motorists may certainly put themselves in danger by driving impaired and they may end up facing harsh legal consequences. But all too often, innocent victims are the ones who end up suffering the most serious consequences of all after a drunk driving accident.
Three years ago, a 24-year-old man was driving his truck not even a mile away from his home when he was suddenly struck by another vehicle. The North Carolina Highway Patrol reported that the man’s truck had been hit head-on by a speeding car. The man died at the scene of the accident. Police later reported that the driver of the car that struck the man’s truck had been impaired at the time of the crash.
The drunk driver has since been charged and convicted for causing the fatal accident. Although this has provided the victim’s family with some sense of justice, the family also pursued a wrongful death claim in order to make sure that they received some sort of compensation for the devastation the accident has since brought into their lives.
According to the lawsuit, the victim was struck by the drunk driver in June 2009. The drunk driver had been traveling at 75 mph when she crossed the centerline on the road and hit the man’s truck head-on. The speed limit was only 55 mph. The family’s loved one was instantly killed in the car accident. The impaired driver survived the accident.
No amount of money can ever make up for a family’s loss after a preventable car accident. However, compensation may at the very least help families recover some of the damages resulting from a fatal crash. After pursuing a wrongful death claim, the North Carolina family was finally awarded damages this week for the loss of their loved one. A judge awarded the victim’s family more than $800,000 for punitive and compensatory damages.
Source: JDNews.com, “$805,000 awarded in DWI death lawsuit,” Lindell Kay, July 25, 2012