Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Stephanie F. Brown, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In a Georgia Court of Appeals decision on April 24, 2009, the Court reversed the trial court’s denial of a motion for summary judgment filed by the parents of a teenager who hosted a party at his parents’ home while the parents were out of town. The teenage boy held a party at his parents’ home while they were out of town for the weekend. The boy invited a friend who purchased methadone from another party guest. After consuming the methadone and alcohol, the friend died of methadone toxicity.
Elizabeth Durante of West Islip New York was a young and caring college student. Recently she and other fellow students were driving from New York to Massachusetts, on their way to a humanitarian project in Uganda. A 24 year old Connecticut resident was driving under the influence when he operated his vehicle in the wrong direction on busy interstate 395. It was late at night and the drunken driver had no headlights on. His vehicle smashed head on into the vehicle in which Elizabeth Durante was a passenger, killing her.
Trial has been set for Larry Setzer of Horn Lake, Mississippi who has been charged with two counts of causing a death while driving a car under the influence (DUI) and causing an personal injuries and death. Car accidents by DUI can affect all of us, including our children. At the time of the car wreck Setzer was not drinking but was on a drug called Xanax. Anything that can impair motor skills and alertness including but not limited to illegal drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, and sleep deprivation put innocent adults and children at risk on Mississippi highways and roads.
Cobb County, Georgia police arrested a stepmother who provided alcohol to four teenagers at her home. One of the teenagers was killed later that night in an automobile accident when the car he was driving crossed the center line and collided with another car. Garrett Reed, a junior at Harrison High School, was killed in the accident in which Cobb County police believe alcohol and speed were contributing causes.
Police in Richmond, Wisconsin reported that a school bus driver was arrested for intoxication. The school bus driver was transporting 43 children at the time of the incident. In Wisconsin, the legal limit of intoxication for commercial drivers is .04. Fortunately, no children were injured as a result of the bus driver’s drinking. It is quite unsettling to read about such a story. The school district rightfully suspended the driver. It is difficult enough to drive a school bus. No school bus driver should ever get behind the wheel while under the influence of any amount of alcohol. It puts our children at undue risk for personal injuries and even death.
Deputy sheriffs in Madison (Dane County) Wisconsin recently arrested 8 different drivers in various incidents in and around Madison, Wisconsin for OWI (Operating While Intoxicated). While there was no special task force or overtime put in place over the weekend, drunk drivers were out in numbers wreaking havoc on the roadways in Madison, Wisconsin. One drunk driver even crashed his vehicle in to a police car. Another driver was found parked while making a turn. She was arrested for OWI. People who drink and drive should not only think about the criminal consequences but also the civil, social, and moral consequences of such dangerous and reckless behavior. Too many children, teens, and adults have suffered serious personal injuries and wrongful death due to drunk driving / OWI. The best way to reduce drunk driving / OWI is through planning. If you plan to have some drinks at home, restaurant, or bar, make sure that there is a designated driver lined up. If there is no designated driver lined up, do not drink, call a friend for a ride, get a cab, or stay put. The safety of Wisconsin’s children and adults is much more important than the joy, buzz, or fulfillment of getting drunk.