A Gulfport man got hit and killed while he was putting gas into his pickup truck, which he had parked on the side on Interstate 10 after it ran out of gas. As the man was using a gas can to put gasoline in the truck, the driver of a large SUV lost control of his vehicle. The SUV hit a parked car, struck the man, and rolled over before coming to rest in the median.
The man who got hit died at the accident scene. The driver of the SUV got hurt in the crash and got transported to a hospital where he got treated for his injuries. When the driver got out of the hospital, he got charged with DUI causing death and went to jail.
In Mississippi and other states, drunk driving laws contain strict penalties for people who drink and drive. The penalties are even harsher when a drunk driver causes an accident, especially if the crash causes one or more fatalities or serious injuries. DUI accidents resulting in death, serious injury, or disfigurement may result in felony aggravated DUI charges against the driver. A separate aggravated DUI charge may be brought for each person who was killed, injured, or disfigured in the wreck. Drivers who get charged with aggravated DUI face five to twenty-five years in prison for each charge that they get convicted of. Many drunk drivers receive close to the maximum sentence in Mississippi aggravated DUI cases.
DUI crashes often cause serious injuries and fatalities. When a person chooses to drink and drive, they put their life and the lives of others at risk. Sometimes, drunk drivers are involved in single-vehicle crashes. At other times, drivers and passengers in other vehicles and sometimes even pedestrians get hurt or killed in the wreck. In addition to the aforementioned criminal penalties, drunk drivers can also be held accountable civilly.
A criminal conviction against a drunk driver may bring some sense of justice to the families of the people who got hurt or killed in the wreck. However they do not help those victims and families recover financially. Personal injury attorneys can pursue claims for damages on behalf of victims of drunk driving accidents and their families. After a DWI wreck, the victims and their families, who are already experiencing intense damage and loss in connection with the injury or loss of their loved ones, may face expensive medical bills for treatment and rehabilitation, lost wages, and the cost of repairing or replacing their damaged or destroyed vehicle.
Barrett Law PLLC: Help for Accident Victims Throughout Mississippi
A personal injury attorney can help accident victims, and their families pursue claims for damages based upon property damage, medical bills and lost wages, pain, and suffering, and more. The Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC have represented many Mississippi DUI accident victims and their families. They have helped accident victims focus on their physical and emotional recovery by taking care of the matter of helping them recover financially, and they may be able to help you do the same. Please call our office today, at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule a free, initial consultation.