Drinking and Driving Causes 11,000 Wrongful Death Accidents Every Year
Adults drank too much and got behind the wheel about 112 million times in 2010—that is almost 300,000 incidents of drinking and driving each day—according to a CDC Vital Signs study released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The four million adults who drink and drive each year put everyone on the road at risk,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “In fact, nearly 11,000 people are killed every year in crashes that involve an alcohol–impaired driver.”
“When drunk drivers make a mistakes on the road, they tend to be major mistakes like crossing into oncoming traffic, rolling their car or striking an object,” said Attorney Fred Pritzker. “The results are often catastrophic.”
The study also found that:
- Men were responsible for 81 percent of drinking and driving in 2010.
- Young men, ages 21–34, made up only 11 percent of the U.S. population in 2010, yet were responsible for 32 percent of all episodes of drinking and driving.
- Eighty–five percent of drinking and driving episodes were reported by people who also reported binge drinking. Binge drinking means five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women during a short period of time.
Drunk Driver is Possible Cause of MN Car Accident Death, Police Say
The investigation of a July 4 MN car accident has revealed new details, police say. The accident, which left one young man dead and two injured, occurred on Hwy 63 several miles south of Zumbro Falls, MN at about 7 p.m. The car, in which the three young men were traveling, left the road and rolled over. Alcohol use was detected by both men who survived the accident, but both say they weren’t driving. Police have yet to determine who the driver was and say they do believe alcohol was a factor in the accident.
Drunk Driver Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Pritzker Olsen law firm has represented the families of people killed in one-car drunk driving accidents. Recently, we filed a lawsuit on behalf of a family of a woman killed in a one-vehicle accident in Brainerd, MN. The accident was caused by her intoxicated husband, and both were killed. Our wrongful death lawyers interviewed witnesses and examined the physical evidence at the scene of the crash in order to effectively argue the case.
The families of those killed by a drunk driver may be able to file a wrongful death drunk driver lawsuit. They can potentially be compensated for things like:
- Funeral expenses
- Medical expenses
- Loss of potential earnings
- Loss of advice, comfort, assistance, protection, counsel and society
- Punitive damages
Another type of drunk driver lawsuit claim is what’s known as a dram shop claim. This is a lawsuit against the establishment (bar, restaurant, etc) that served the drunk driver. Minnesota car accident laws state clearly that it is against the law for establishments that serve alcohol (dram shops) to sell or give alcoholic beverages to an obviously intoxicated person. If the establishment does serve that person, then the establishment can be held liable for injuries or deaths that may arise from that person driving intoxicated on the roads.
The restaurant or bar responsible for over-serving the drunk driver would then have to compensate those injured by the drunk driver or the family members of anyone killed by the drunk driver.
Contact Pritzker Olsen attorneys for a free drunk driver wrongful death lawsuit consultation.
Information from:
http://www.startribune.com/local/125015184.html
Four People Die in Van Broadsided by Alleged Drunken Driver
Four people died in Olmsted County late Saturday when the van they were in was broadsided by a driver whom the Minnesota State Patrol said was drunk.
Lt. Matt Langer told the Star Tribune that Christopher S. Frisch, 25, of Winona was arrested on suspicion of criminal vehicular operation, a felony. Langer said Frisch was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Frisch’s vehicle was eastbound on State Highway 30 and the van was northbound on State Highway 63 when the collision happened.
Killed were driver Terry Milholland, 45, of Beecher, Ill., and passengers Heidi Newell, 19, and Jarah Beers, 23, both of Rochester, and Raymond Milholland, age and hometown unknown. The Star Tribune reported that two others were hospitalized with critical injuries: 2-year-old Carter Newell of Rochester and Rita Seha, 43, also of Rochester.
The Minnesota fatal car accident was one of several deadly crashes that killed a total of 11 people on state roads Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. As of late Monday, no additional road deaths had been reported.
Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is a Minnesota fatal car accident law firm that specializes in representing seriously injured victims of motor vehicle accidents. The firm also represents the survivors and heirs of those who die in crashes, recovering tens of millions of dollars for clients over the years.
When someone dies in a Minnesota car wreck caused by the negligence of another, the spouse and next of kin can recover monetary damages under the state’s wrongful death law. And when someone dies in a drunk driver accident in Minnesota, the spouse and next of kin may have a claim for punitive damages.
Pritzker Olsen has the resources to perform its own accident investigations. When alcohol is involved in a crash, the firm is sure to research dram shop claims against bars and other retailers who supplied alcohold to the drunken driver. Our lawyers know how to fight for fair compensation from all responsible parties, including money to cover a client’s pain and suffering.
In another accident over the weekend, a couple from Oak Grove, Minnesota, was riding a motorcycle south on State Highway 371 in Cass County. A car traveling in the opposite direction braked to avoid hitting a car ahead and swerved into the southbound lane, slamming into the motorcycle head-on. Judy Hubers, 59, died from injuries she suffered in the crash while 51-year-old John Hubers was taken to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale. On Monday Mr. Hubers remained hospitalized in critical condition.
Another six people were killed over the weekend in six separate accidents in Carver County, Fillmore County, Dakota County, Wright County, Olmsted County and Aitkin.
According to the Star Tribune report, one of the six was motorcycle passenger Amber Frandup, 25, of Eagan. She died when the motorcycle she was riding on crashed into the back of a car on the Mendota Bridge in Dakota County.
Minnesota Drunk Driver Accident: Dram Shop Claim
What is a Dram Shop?
In 18th Century England, thousands of so-called “gin-shops” sold homemade gin by the dram (about a spoonful). Today’s legal system considers any establishment selling liquor as a modern day equivalent of these “dram shops” of the 1700’s.
What is Minnesota Dram Shop Law?
Minnesota law holds these establishments responsible for the dangerous actions of an intoxicated person when they have illegally sold liquor to that person. In addition to bars and liquor stores, these establishments can include restaurants, social clubs, and even private events where liquor is sold.
Under Minnesota Statutes, Section 340.801, Subdivision 1:
A spouse, child, parent, guardian, employer, or other person injured in person, property, or means of support, or who incurs other pecuniary loss by an intoxicated person or by the intoxication of another person, has a right of action in the person’s own name for all damages sustained against a person who caused the intoxication of that person by illegally selling alcoholic beverages.
While selling liquor to an obviously intoxicated customer represents the most common dram shop violation, the illegal sale of intoxicating beverages can take other forms, such as:
- Selling liquor without a license to do so;
- Selling liquor after hours; or
- Selling liquor to a minor.
Our lawyers can help you determine if a dram shop violation played a role in your Minnesota auto accident. As public safety advocates, we believe it is important to hold parties liable who engage in illegal activity, especially when there is a high likelihood that people will be seriously injured or killed. Read our previous post about a young man who was paralyzed in an accident involving an underage driver who was allegedly sold liquor at an Albertsons grocery store.
To contact a Minnesota car accident lawyer at PritzkerOlsen, please call 612-338-0202, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free) or submit our free consultation form.
Supervalue Lawsuit Alleges Accident Linked to Sale of Liquor to a Minor
A lawsuit has been filed against Supervalue, Inc., a Minnesota-based company and Albertsons, LLC, the alleged owners of an Albertsons store that sold alcohol to an underage driver who later crashed his car into a bridge, killing himself and paralyzing Ryan Costello, a 22-year-old who has been in a wheelchair since the accident. The lawsuit was filed in Florida on Wednesday. This was a tragic and inexcusable accident.
Claims against stores that sell liquor are called dram shop claims. Under Minnesota law, dram shops are liable for accident injuries and deaths when they sell liquor to a minor driver who has an accident while intoxicated.
When we handle auto accident cases involving a drunk driver, we always investigate to determine if a dram shop violation played a role in the car accident. There are a couple of reasons for this: 1) the dram shop should be punished for breaking the law and 2) it provides the victim or heirs another party to pursue for compensation.
Ryan Costello’s mother explains why the lawsuit against Supervalue and Albertsons is important to her:
“It has been beyond catastrophic for a single mother,” she said.
The lawsuit is not just about the money, she said. Costello often talks to DUI offender classes about the dangers of drinking and driving, and she says she just wants to see a store she believes is consistently selling alcohol to minors to stop.
“I am not saying my son is not responsible for his part of what happened to him. As you can see, he’s paying severely for what he did,” Costello said. “I just want Albertsons to be held responsible to operate under the letter of the law. One boy lost his life, another boy lost the life he knew. I just don’t want any other mothers to go through this.”1
In these cases, dram shops are often not willing to settle for full and adequate compensation. Our attorneys have significant trial experience and have been successful against dram shops.
To contact an auto accident attorney at PritzkerOlsen, please call 612-338-0202, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free) or submit our free consultation form.
Reference:
1. Robert Napper, Family sues Albertsons over debilitating crash, Brandenton Herald, February 5, 2009.
