Pop Star George Michael Wreaks Havoc on the Streets of London
George Michael made headlines yet again when he apparently mistook a local film developing store for a parking space and drove his car straight into the storefront. Police arrived at the scene and took Michael to the police station on suspicion of DUI. Reports indicate that the vehicle caused extensive damage to the photo shop, which may have to replace its entire storefront.
The first thing any reader should take away from this situation is that there indeed are still people in this world who do not use digital cameras and there are even shops that still develop film. The second is that situations such as the one described above happen daily around the world, including in Tennessee, and it is important to know, both as a victim and as the responsible party, what liability may be placed upon the responsible party when such accidents occur. Assuming Mr. Michael was intoxicated at the time of the accident, Tennessee law would label him as negligent per se. This essentially means that in a personal injury suit there would be no need for the plaintiff to prove anything other than the fact that Mr. Michael was intoxicated in order for him to be held responsible for all of the foreseeable damages that flowed from his actions.
In a situation like this one where an intoxicated driver causes the destruction of someone else’s property, damages can accumulate in a hurry. The driver in a similar situation to this one will be responsible not only for the damage that he caused to the store but also for the cost of repairing the storefront and restoring the shop to the condition it was in before he decided to turn the store into a literal drive-in. He would also be responsible for the destruction of the property of customers that occurred as a result of his actions. In this situation, such damage is likely to be minimal but the possibility for larger damages will exist in different situations. Whether you are the responsible party or the victim in such cases, it is important to know who can be held responsible for what damages. Consulting an experienced personal injury attorney can help parties on either side determine the best course of action.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/07/06/george-michael-arrested-driving-car-storefront/
