Articles Posted in Drunk Driving in Massachusetts

Drunk driving accidents are somewhat different than other traffic accidents in the greater Boston area.  While it is true that they are often deadlier than other car accidents, this is not say that negligent sober drivers cannot be responsible for a deadly car accident, but the level of reckless behavior exhibited by someone who is intoxicated is often far more outrageous than most sober drivers.

One of the more upsetting aspects of drunk driving is that drunk driving is a very serious crime.  It is serious because it can and often does result in serious injury or death, but many do not treat it like a serious crime.  This includes the lawmakers around the county who classify drunk driving (at least the first several offenses) as a misdemeanor, and many can get off without ever having a conviction on their record.  There are a lot of reasons for this, but the main reason is that juries, lawmakers, and even judges see this as a thing that most everyone has done at some point in their lives, and for the most part this is true.  Continue reading

Drunk driving is one of the strangest crimes, according to many judges who routinely weigh drunk driving criminal cases and civil lawsuits involving people who were injured. The reason they often comment during sentencing or verdict that it is a strange or unique crime is that is a crime that people don’t think about as a crime, even though it can, and often does, result in a death of an innocent person.

For example, most people who are living in Boston, fresh out of college, working as an intern or were fortunate to land a good job would never dream of stealing a candy bar from the corner store.  This is understandable, as they have no reason to steal anything and are worried about the consequences if they did.  If they were caught, they would be charged with a misdemeanor that would probably get dismissed, as it was a first offense under what the law in the Commonwealth, calls a CWOF.  CWOF is short for continued without a finding.  Basically, defendant pleads guilty, but the judge doesn’t enter a finding of guilty.  If the person does community service and pays a fine, the case will be dismissed, and the defendant can truthfully say he or she was never convicted.  Continue reading

There are many ways authorities try to curb drunk driving and the many related Boston drunk driving accidents. Police, government agencies, and organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) use public awareness campaigns that include billboards showing the consequences of drunk driving, and they also create and air public service announcements on television and radio.

However, in addition to public awareness, MADD also lobbies for stronger drunk driving penalties, including the use of a breath alcohol ignition interlock device (BAIID).  A BAIID is installed in the car of a convicted drunk driving offender at the expense of defendant.  This is one area that has caused some pushback, as they typically cost a few hundred dollars to install and then between $50 and $100 a month to monitor, and many defendants claim they can’t afford this. Continue reading

There is no question that drinking to the point of intoxication and driving is dangerous.  It is also illegal.  There are a variety of reasons why it is dangerous to drive while drunk. On the one hand, it can affect your ability to physically operate a motor vehicle safely.  Those who are drunk have impaired motor functions, for one.  This means it is physically difficult to operate the controls in a coordinated manner.

In addition to loss of gross and fine motor skills, drinking to point of intoxication can cause blurred vision, making it difficult to see clearly and accurately judge distance. This also makes it dangerous to operate a car.  In terms of mental acuity, when a person is intoxicated, they will have difficulty processing information quickly and reacting to ever-changing stimuli we all face when driving a car in traffic.

One might wonder what someone must be thinking to take the risk and drive drunk. For one man recently arrested for DUI while dressed as the Tin Man from “Wizard of Oz,” it may have been, “If I only had a brain.”

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In single-vehicle DUI accidents, passengers’ only recourse may be to file claims for damages with the insurance company of the driver. If claims are denied, they may need to sue the driver. Some are loathe to do this because the driver is a friend or family member. The truth of the matter is such claims are not personal. While the named defendant is a loved one, you’re ultimately seeking payment from the insurer.

In one recent single-vehicle drunk driving accident, a woman had crashed into a cluster of trees. According to a recent news article from the Newton Patch, Taunton Police soon learned the circumstances involved in this particular drunk driving car accident were far from ordinary.

Authorities say they arrived on the scene and found a woman leaning against a wrecked 1999 Mercedes C Class. The car was allegedly on the lawn of a home and in between a small stand of trees.  There was a man sitting in the driver’s seat attempting to restart the crashed car.  He was not the driver at the time of the crash, according to police. Continue reading