Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog
Drunk-driving accidents are painful and shocking for everyone involved, especially when the accident results in an injury or death. For victims and their families, there are no answers. For alleged drunken drivers, the knowledge of being at fault for a deadly accident can be unbearable. In a drunk-driving case that went viral over the Internet last month, a man once in denial of the costs of his bad decision, made a YouTube video confessing his responsibility in a drunk driving accident that killed another man.
Drunk drivers face potential criminal as well as civil penalties. In the event of a drunk driving accident, our Massachusetts drunk driving accident attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of victims and their families. We will take a comprehensive approach to identify individuals and entities, including bar owners and others who may be responsible for a DUI accident. We are committed to holding drunk drivers responsible and to helping victims recover maximum compensation for their losses.
Many drivers are still drunk when apprehended at the scene of an accident. In an Ohio case, a driver was confronted at the hospital by police who informed him that he killed a man in a drunk driving accident. Police reported that he was angry and denial, shouting that he did not killing anyone and refused to provide a blood sample. When the driver sobered up, he quickly realized the severity of his actions and decided to take a different approach.
Without the consent or knowledge of his attorney, the driver created an online video confessing to the crime and to his own responsibility in the death of the other driver. The three-minute long video features the driver, admitting that he killed another man and that he “made a mistake” when he decided to drive. He had no recollection of the night and couldn’t remember how long he had been driving or if he had eaten that day.
When YouTube confessor entered court this month, he did not waiver in his position from that video, posted on September 3, 2013. According to court reports, the driver pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide. The driver also admitted to “drinking so much that he blacked out” and told the judge, who acknowledged the event as a “binge drinking situation.” His attorneys said that he may have suffered a traumatic brain injury from the accident.
While the YouTube video may not help the driver evade criminal responsibility, it may help garner sympathy from a judge who sees remorse and the desire to persuade other young drivers not to drink and get behind the wheel. The driver, only 22 years old, will be sentenced on October 10 and could face 2 to 8 ½ years in prison. According to police, the driver’s blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.
Victims of drunk driving accidents have the right to pursue civil remedies in addition to criminal prosecution. Injury victims and their families may be entitled to medical expenses, pain and suffering, long-term care needs, lost companionship, and additional compensation for other losses arising from a drunk driving accident.
If you or a loved one was involved in a drunk driving accident in Massachusetts, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
More Blog Entries:
A New Option to Test Your BAC Before Heading Home, Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog, August 10, 2013
Intoxicated Pedestrian Fatalities Rising Nationwide, Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog, August 14, 2013