Boston Drunk Driving Accidents

June 14, 2017

DUI “Sleeper” Cases in Boston

In some cases, a person realizes they are too drunk to safety drive home, but they have no place else to go. In some cases, the intoxicated person will try to “sleep it off” in their car. In other cases, a person will try to drive home and realize they can’t make it home safely, and they will pull over and then try to sleep. In other cases still, some drivers will simply fall asleep behind the wheel. This can happen while driver is stopped at a traffic light, or while the car is in motion. Both of these examples can result in a drunk driving car crash with serious personal injury or death.

What many people may not realize is that when you stop your car and fall asleep while the car is in a travel lane, or otherwise obstructing traffic, this is drunk driving, and you would be responsible for any personal injury that results from a car accident involving your car, assuming the location of your car caused the accident. Many people also do not realize you can get arrested for drunk driving even if you are asleep when the police arrive, so long as you are in physical control of the car at the time. Continue reading

June 13, 2017

Former NBA Player and Coach Derek Fisher Arrested Following Alleged Drunk Driving Car Crash

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Car accidents in Boston happen all the time. In most cases, they are a result of the negligence on behalf of at least one driver. There are cases where it is not the driver’s fault, but they are still the result of negligence. In these cases, we are dealing with a vehicle that was defectively manufactured or repaired, or perhaps a traffic light that malfunctioned. Again, most accidents are due to the negligence of a driver.

While any car crash can be dangerous or even deadly, drunk driving car accidents tend to involve more serious personal injury and fatalities, due to the extreme degree of bad or reckless driving we tend to see. Drunk drivers are often in the wrong lane of travel, where they hit other cars in a head-on manner, causing substantial impact. We also tend to see more rollover crashes with drunk driving. Continue reading

June 11, 2017

Preventing Drunk Driving Car Accidents in Boston

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Drunk driving accidents often result in serious personal injury or death. While the police are out on the roads to find and arrest drunk drivers before they cause an accident, it is difficult for them to catch everyone, and they are often left responding to an accident rather than preventing one, due the vast number of drunk drivers on the road.

Sometimes we are driving, and we see a car that is swerving or weaving, and we assume that driver is drunk or something else is wrong with him or her. A recent article from The Daily Courier discusses what you should do if you see a suspected drunk driver and what you should not do. Continue reading

June 9, 2017

Drunk Driving Accidents and Impaired Judgment

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

There is no question that drinking to the point of intoxication and driving is dangerous. It is also illegal. There are a variety of reasons why it is dangerous to drive while drunk. On the one hand, it can affect your ability to physically operate a motor vehicle safely. Those who are drunk have impaired motor functions, for one. This means it is physically difficult to operate the controls in a coordinated manner.

In addition to loss of gross and fine motor skills, drinking to point of intoxication can cause blurred vision, making it difficult to see clearly and accurately judge distance. This also makes it dangerous to operate a car. In terms of mental acuity, when a person is intoxicated, they will have difficulty processing information quickly and reacting to ever-changing stimuli we all face when driving a car in traffic.

One might wonder what someone must be thinking to take the risk and drive drunk. For one man recently arrested for DUI while dressed as the Tin Man from “Wizard of Oz,” it may have been, “If I only had a brain.”

June 7, 2017

Passengers in Single-Vehicle DUI Crashes Must Weigh Legal Options

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In single-vehicle DUI accidents, passengers’ only recourse may be to file claims for damages with the insurance company of the driver. If claims are denied, they may need to sue the driver. Some are loathe to do this because the driver is a friend or family member. The truth of the matter is such claims are not personal. While the named defendant is a loved one, you’re ultimately seeking payment from the insurer.

In one recent single-vehicle drunk driving accident, a woman had crashed into a cluster of trees. According to a recent news article from the Newton Patch, Taunton Police soon learned the circumstances involved in this particular drunk driving car accident were far from ordinary.

Authorities say they arrived on the scene and found a woman leaning against a wrecked 1999 Mercedes C Class. The car was allegedly on the lawn of a home and in between a small stand of trees. There was a man sitting in the driver’s seat attempting to restart the crashed car. He was not the driver at the time of the crash, according to police. Continue reading

June 3, 2017

Tiger Woods Arrested for DUI

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

An increasing number of DUI accidents with injuries involve drivers who were under the influence of drugs. Specifically, narcotics and prescription drugs have proven problematic.

According to a recent news report from CNN, golfer Tiger Woods was arrested at 3 a.m. on suspicion of drunk driving. Police in Jupiter, Florida say they found Woods’ vehicle on the side of the road. The engine of his 2015 Mercedes-Benz was running, the brake lights were on, and the turn signal was allegedly still flashing. He was the only one in the vehicle, and he was wearing his seat belt.

The officers then attempted wake him up, and he was allegedly slurring his speech. He then allegedly told police that he had been golfing in Los Angeles; however, he had no idea where he currently was. He was asked to take a breath test, and, when he blew into the device, it registered a 0.0, indicating he was not under the influence of alcohol. Continue reading

May 31, 2017

A Look at How to Curb Drunk Driving Accidents in Boston

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

There is no doubt that drunk driving and drunk driving accidents are a major problem in the U.S. Drunk driving is the leading cause of fatal traffic accidents, and there are many law enforcement agencies and non-profit organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) that are constantly looking for new ways to get their message across. While there has clearly been some progress, there is still quite a lot of work to be done.

A recent column from the Los Angeles Daily News offers the opinion that in order to actually curb drunk driving, the focus needs to be on changing the culture. The article looks at the fact that many people do not think of drunk driving as a crime, as they do with many other crimes, even though those crimes are much less likely to result in physical harm. Continue reading

May 27, 2017

Woman Arrested for Alleging Allowing Child to Drive Car While She was Drunk

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Drunk driving typically affects more than the person behind the wheel. In one recent case, though, the person behind the wheel was just as much a victim as anyone else.

According to a recent news article from the Greenfield Patch, a 37-year-old woman has been arrested after she was allegedly too drunk to drive, so she made her 8-year-old son drive instead. Authorities have said the arrest occurred around 2 p.m.

A deputy sheriff reported seeing a car entering the on-ramp of a major local highway with a small child sitting on a woman’s lap. This was apparently sufficient probable cause to conduct a traffic stop. The deputy allegedly observed the young boy steering the car. Continue reading

May 23, 2017

Report: Drugged Driving Accidents Increase

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In Massachusetts, when a person is arrested for drunk driving, following a serious drunk driving accident, the official name of the criminal charge is operating under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs. The liquor part is used to include to any beverage that includes ethanol, which is the form of alcohol that humans consume in alcoholic beverages. There are other types of alcohol used for industrial and medical purposes like isopropanol, but that is made from wood, and while people have drunk it, and it will cause intoxication, it is very detrimental to your health.

As far as the drugs part of the charge goes, that can include any substance that causes intoxication, but generally means prescription drugs or illegal street drugs. However, there have been drugged driving accidents where people are intoxicated from huffing gas or other toxic chemicals. Continue reading

May 19, 2017

Holding Parents Accountable for Teen DUIs

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

If your child wants to have a graduation party, prom party or any party at your house over the course of the summer, it is very important you understand as a parent what your responsibilities are under the law. If either you or your child knowingly provides alcohol for someone who is under the age of 21, there could be serious legal consequences.

Unfortunately, many young people do have parties during the summer — sometimes with their parents knowledge and other times when parents are at work. If someone leaves these parties and gets into a drunk driving crash, the collision victim must know his or her rights under Massachusetts law. A Boston drunk driving lawyer can provide assistance to collision victims in pursuing a claim not only against the intoxicated driver, but also against the parents of teens who provided the alcohol consumed before the drunk driving accident.

When victims of drunk driving collisions have more potential defendants to make claims against, this maximizes the chances the crash victim can obtain full compensation for losses. Drunk driving injuries can be serious and expensive to treat. If the teen driver has limited auto insurance, the victim can pursue a claim against others who may have more coverage and more assets – as long as the teen can prove the others are liable under Massachusetts law.