Massachusetts accident results in DUI arraignment

On behalf of Aiken and Aiken P.C. Personal Injury Attorneys posted in Car Accidents, on Thursday, July 31, 2014

A 53-year-old man was arraigned July 25 in connection with an alleged drunk-driving accident in November. The man is facing charges of motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence and manslaughter by motor vehicle. The November accident involved a 48-year-old pedestrian. According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, the 53-year-old man accelerated his vehicle before striking the pedestrian. The pedestrian was reportedly dragged by the man’s vehicle for several feet. Officials claim that the vehicle was traveling with so much speed that it knocked a fire hydrant out of its mounting. The victim died at the scene of the accident. Purportedly, the man’s blood alcohol content level was .14 percent at the time of the accident. The legal limit for drivers in Massachusetts is .08 percent. Regardless of the outcome of the 53-year-old man’s criminal case, it is possible that he might still be held accountable for the incident in civil court. For, accidents involving a drunk driver are the source of many wrongful death suits. Certain family members of people who die in accidents caused by intoxicated drivers may file a wrongful death suit against the at-fault driver. In this way bereaved family members may seek financial compensation for the economic damages they suffered in connection with the fatal accident. These damages may include the expenses related to the decedent’s funeral service and burial. Moreover, bereaved family members may seek restitution for lost earnings if the decedent had contributed income to dependents or the family household prior to death. In order to prevail in such a lawsuit, claimants must demonstrate to a civil court the specific damages they suffered as a result of the fatal incident. Source: Boston.com, “Man in Pedestrian Death Case“, Eric Levenson, July 25, 2014