Articles Posted in Drunk Driving in Massachusetts

Our Boston drunk driving accident lawyers know many victims will need to find a way to recover their losses even if the at-fault driver was uninsured. One of the ways you may be able to accomplish this is through Uninsured Motorist Coverage.

According to a recent story in the Daily News, an alleged drunk driver hit two cars, causing a fatal traffic accident. One of the victims was a 16-year-old boy who was behind the wheel of one of the cars that the defendant hit. The boy died from a result of the injuries he sustained in this alcohol-related car crash.
Continue reading

According to a recent article from the Boston Globe, a Worcester man was arrested for his 11th drunk driving offense. As your Boston drunk driving accident lawyer can explain, the charge is officially known as Operating Under the Influence (OUI) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Police spotted the man who was allegedly driving well under the posted speed limit with his headlights off around 2:00 a.m. Authorities stated that they attempted to give the man a breath alcohol test (breathalyzer) but he was unable to provide a sufficient sample.

The man is alleged to have a history of OUI arrests in Massachusetts from the 1970s, five drunk driving arrests in Florida from the 1980s, and three more from Texas in the 1990s. The man had a valid license at the time of his latest arrest. Police seemed astonished that this man was issued a valid license to drive, given his history of alcohol-related driving offenses.

The reason for the Massachusetts RMV issuing the license was due to the length of time that had passed since his previous arrest and the fact that he was issued the license prior to the Massachusetts Life-Time Look Back law. Prior to this law, the RMV would look back a certain number of years to see if you had an OUI on your record, and, if the conviction was old enough to be beyond the look back period, then it would not be held against you when applying for a license. This is no longer the case in Massachusetts; now, they will look all the way back to when you were first issued a license in any state to see if you have any OUI convictions.
Continue reading

Our Boston drunk driving injury attorneys know some bar owners are more responsible than others in preventing alcohol-related car crashes.

According to a recent story in the Post Crescent, a local bar owner wants credit for a reduction in alcohol-related car crashes in one Wisconsin County. The county has experienced a recent reduction in the number of drunk driving accidents and has offered several possible explanations for this downward trend.

Officials have credited increased law enforcement of drunk driving, driver education programs, stiffer sentences and fines, as well as various other reasons. A local bar owner, however, is suggesting that the recent trend is related to bar operators and employees doing their part to keep drunk drivers off the road.

The man claiming credit is the head of a local league of tavern owners. He contends that, since he and his members started their safe ride program three years ago, they have provided around 3,000 taxi rides at no charge to drunk patrons who needed help getting home. He said that nearly 50 bars and taverns support the program and contribute to it financially. He says that the last thing any tavern owner wants is for a person to leave a tavern drunk, get behind the wheel of a car, and cause an accident.
Continue reading

Our Boston drunk driving accident lawyers know that, while technology may help to reduce alcohol-related accidents, it will never keep us entirely safe on the roads.

By now, most people in Boston are aware of the company Uber. It started with a smartphone app that allowed you to get a black car to take you anywhere you wanted to go for slightly more than taking a taxi and without having to have any cash on you. Then they offered traditional taxi service and their Uber X service, where people are getting paid to drive you around in their personal vehicles. There is also their competitor, Lyft, which features cars with a large pink mustache on the front bumper.

According to a recent article in the Washington Post, Uber is sharing data it says indicates a reduction in drunk driving. The company has released slightly censored graphs that show the highest usage for the service is around closing time at establishments that serve alcohol. The theory is that these customers are intoxicated bar patrons who would otherwise be getting behind the wheel of a car, where they could cause deadly alcohol-related car accidents.
Continue reading

Our Boston drunk driving lawyers know special consideration must be given to cases in which the defendant was also charged with a crime related to the collision.

According to a recent article from Channel3000.com, a four-car crash resulted in two people being taken to the hospital with what authorities are describing as non life-threatening injuries. Police indicated that the crash was alcohol-related and the driver has been placed under arrest for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and causing an accident. According to witnesses, firefighters had to remove one of the victims, who was trapped in a vehicle.

A criminal prosecution against the alleged drunk driver may affect the results in any civil action or settlement. If the negligent conduct was also criminal and the driver takes a guilty plea to the charges, or is found guilty by a judge or jury, it may be much more difficult for the defendant to deny liability in your case. It may also make the defendant’s insurance company more likely to make a reasonable settlement offer early on in the process.
Continue reading

Our Boston drunk driving accident lawyers know that an alcohol-related car accident can result in serious injury or death.

The Boston Globe is reporting that Bridgewater woman has been sentenced to two and half years in prison in connection with a fatal drunk driving accident that occurred in Norfolk County Massachusetts in 2011.

The driver was charged with operating under the influence (OUI), which is the term for a DUI in Massachusetts General Laws, homicide while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor of drugs, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and other related serious traffic offenses.

Accord to court documents, the driver was operating her motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol when she crashed her car into another vehicle. Two people were seriously injured and another victim was killed in the tragic crash.
Continue reading

Football season will be starting soon enough, and unfortunately this means that there may be more drunk drivers on the roads. People who attend games or parties, or who watch sports at friend’s houses, may have a few drinks too many and may decide to drive home after the game. This creates a significant danger for themselves and for others on the roads.

If you or a loved one is harmed by an intoxicated driver, you need to understand your rights. A Boston drunk driving accident attorney can help you to take legal action after a drunk driving collision. While victims can receive monetary compensation; however, it is always better to find innovative ideas to strop drunk driving before it occurs. Mothers Against Drunk Driving has found one novel approach, joining with National Football League (NFL) teams to try to prevent intoxicated driving.
Continue reading

Stopping drunk driving is difficult because police cannot pull a motorist over or ask him to submit to a breath or blood test unless the officer has reasonable cause to believe the driver is drunk. Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell a driver is intoxicated as a car passes quickly by. Further, police cannot be everywhere at all times, so not every drunk driver is caught by law enforcement.

A new technology could make it much easier for law enforcement officers to identify drunk drivers. According to the Huffington Post, this new technology could be “a drunk driver’s worst nightmare.”
Continue reading

The case of Pierson v. Service America Corp. could create a new level of accountability for booze vendors at sporting events.

The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled the family of a 12-year-old girl struck and killed by a drunk driver who had been imbibing at a football game just prior to the crash may continue with their negligence lawsuit against the vendor who served him alcohol.

Boston drunk driving accident lawyers know that while this case takes place in Indiana, the vendor is based in South Carolina and holds contracts with stadiums across the world, including at stadiums in Washington, D.C., New Orleans, San Diego and San Francisco. Undoubtedly, other vendors are carefully watching the development of this case through the court system.
Continue reading

The Fourth of July is a dangerous time for drunk drivers. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 161 people were killed in intoxicated driving collisions just over the Fourth of July weekend in 2011. This was a 70 percent increase in the average number of drunk driving fatalities per day.

While Independence Day is a time for barbeques, fireworks and picnics with friends, it does not have to be a time when motorists take their lives into their hands and get behind the wheel drunk. Motorists should make the smart choice this holiday season to stay sober and avoid intoxicated driving so they don’t hurt or kill themselves or someone else on the road. Victims who are injured by an intoxicated driver need to understand their legal rights and should contact a Boston drunk driving accident attorney for help.
Continue reading