DUI Can Lead to More than Criminal Charges
A mail carrier is faced with a variety of charges after she hit a Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper head-on Friday night while driving under the influence in her postal vehicle. The Trooper was apparently trying to turn into a gas station when the lady crossed lanes and struck his vehicle. The Trooper was taken to the hospital, but he was treated and released without serious injuries.
While DUI is usually discussed in the criminal context, it can also have considerable consequences in the context of Tennessee personal injury law. Driving under the influence is automatically considered negligent in Tennessee, because it is not reasonable to drive under the influence of any intoxicant under any circumstances. Drivers who are negligent in causing an accident will find themselves liable for any damages that result from the wreck. In the situation described above, the drunken deliverer would be responsible for the medical expenses of the Trooper and any other expenses that occur as a result of the wreck, such as lost wages.
Driving under the influence may also subject the driver to liability for punitive damages if a jury finds that such conduct is reckless enough to warrant the imposition of such damages. In this situation, the jury would have to decide if the driver deserves to have to pay punitive damages for being intoxicated while driving to the point that she was unable to control her vehicle and crossed into the wrong lane, striking the Trooper head-on. If the jury decided that punitive damages were allowable, they would be awarded in addition to any compensatory damages. Conduct such as driving under the influence can thus subject the driver to an extraordinary amount of liability.
Driving under the influence is one of the most commonly committed criminal offenses. Often, no one is seriously injured as a result of such conduct but driving under the influence has also been responsible for a multitude of deaths and serious injuries. If such injury occurs, the driver can be held responsible for the injury both by the imposition of criminal charges and the awarding of a large amount of damages against the driver.
Source: http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/76831177.html
