Family Sues City for DUI Injuries

CANTON, Georgia. According to the Seattle Times, the city of Seattle has settled a case in which a family suffered tragic losses after a drunk driver killed an older couple and left a young mother and her young infant son seriously injured. The family will receive $13 million for their losses from the city of Seattle. The case is tragic. It also highlights the fact that after a drunk driving accident, the web of liability can extend widely.

Why was the family able to sue the city of Seattle for the accident? The man who injured and killed the older couple and young mother and child was a repeat drunk driving offender who failed to install an ignition interlock device in his vehicle after he was granted parole. Prior to this deadly accident, the man had reportedly been arrested for drunk driving five times before.

The man whose parents were killed in the accident, and whose son and wife were seriously injured, sued Seattle for failing to take proper enforcement measures against the man who caused the accident (he was a repeat drunk driving offender). After the accident, the man’s breath intoxication level was found to be three times the state’s legal limit. The family argued in its case that the man’s probation officer was negligent and failed to properly supervise the offender. For example, why was the man driving without an ignition interlock device? Ignition interlock devices can save lives. They require former drunk drivers to submit to a breath test each and every time they get behind the wheel.

While drivers are responsible for their actions behind the wheel, we count on police and city officials to keep us safe. This means that we count on these officials to enforce the law and to keep potentially dangerous drivers off the road. The man whose life was tragically altered argued that the city of Seattle failed to take appropriate steps to prevent the drunk driver from being on the road that day. Seattle decided to settle his case rather than fight it in court.

Drunk driving claims thousands of lives every year. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, a person is injured in a drunk driving accident every two minutes. Drunk driving accidents impact more than the victims. They also impact the families who survive or who have to care for seriously injured loved ones.

If you or a loved one has been hurt or affected by the actions of a drunk driver, you may have important rights under the law. Amanda Hall Injury Law are personal injury lawyers in Canton, Georgia who work closely with victims and families who have been hurt due to a person’s choice to drive drunk. We can help you seek justice and hold all negligent parties accountable. In some cases, many stakeholders may be involved directly or indirectly when drunk driving accidents occur. For example, if a person was served alcohol at an establishment where they were noticeably drunk, the bar, restaurant, or liquor store may be found liable under dram shop laws. Contact our lawyers today to learn more about your range of rights under the law following your injury.

Amanda Hall Injury Law
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Woodstock Ga 30188
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