DUI Driver Sentenced for Intoxication Manslaughter in Fort Lauderdale

DUI drivers are a danger to themselves and to the general public. Never drive while intoxicated. The risks to you and others are too great. For the drunk driver, the possibility of jail time if you get caught is very high, as one person found out in Fort Lauderdale.

In June of 2013, a driver tried to make a left-hand turn in the very early morning. According to investigators, the driver failed to negotiate the road and ran through a hedge in a parking lot. Three homeless people were near the hedge. One got away, but the other two were run over and killed. The driver didn’t notice and kept going.

When investigators caught up with the driver, they tested her BAC and found it to be 0.17, twice the legal limit. After a lengthy court battle, the driver plead guilty to two counts of intoxication manslaughter. She has been sentenced to five years in prison. In the intervening time, the suspect had been placed under house arrest. The families of the killed victims won a substantial settlement of $2.2 million

The state has many tools to punish DUI drivers in criminal court. The people injured and their families also have ways to gain compensation through the civil courts. The costs for medical care, lost wages, funeral expenses, and other expenses related to injury can be quite high and last a lifetime. This is why injured people can pursue compensation in court.

If you have been injured in an accident, DUI or otherwise, and you live in Miami, you need to fight for your proper compensation. Don’t let drunk drivers leave you with huge medical bills. Call our law office today for a free consultation. We can help you fight for what you are due after an accident.