Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog

If you haven’t been through the experience, you likely know someone who has–trailing a driver you believe to be drunk. It is natural to be concerned about the safety of the driver, as well as pedestrians, cyclists and others sharing the road. For witnesses, this may result in phoning 911 to report a suspected drunk driver. But, do police officers have the right to pull a driver over based on an anonymous tip? This was the question before the Supreme Court this week and the justices returned a 5-4 decision declaring that the police can stop and search a driver based solely on an anonymous 911 tip.

While civil rights activists argue that the decision opens the door for abuse of power and infringements upon individual liberties, it does have the potential to stop future drinking and driving accidents. Our Boston drunk driving accident attorneys are committed to helping victims and families of drunk driving accidents pursue recovery after injury or wrongful death. In addition to advocating for our clients, we are also committed to raising awareness about trends and developments in local, state, and federal law that may impact our communities and the rights of motorists.
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Sadly, a number of drunk driving accidents also involve hit and runs because drivers do not want to face up to their misdeeds. A hit and run could result in additional complications, as a victim may not get necessary medical attention immediately after an accident, law enforcement officials are forced to conduct an additional investigation to identify the driver, and any driver convicted of DUI and hit and run will face additional criminal penalties. In a recent Massachusetts case, a 24-year-old woman struck an 83-year-old man as he was attempting to cross the street. The victim was killed and the young driver fled the scene.

This is another tragic accident involving negligence and the wrongful death of an innocent pedestrian. Our drunk driving accident attorneys in Boston are dedicated to pursuing justice on behalf of victims and their loved ones. We are also committed to raising awareness to prevent future accidents and injuries.
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One of the greatest challenges police face in getting drunk drivers off the road is finding them. It may be obvious once they’re spotted, but officers can’t be everywhere at once. They often rely on the public to report that a driver is operating recklessly.

But until recently, it was unclear whether police could establish the reasonable suspicion necessary to initiate a traffic stop solely on the basis of anonymous 911 tips. Now, according to the U.S. Supreme Court, they can.

Boston drunk driving accident lawyers have been closely following the case of Navarette v. California since it was first argued before the court in October. The justices have now ruled in a 5-4 split decision that under “appropriate circumstances,” a tip from an unidentified 911 caller can suffice as grounds for stopping a driver.

Ultimately, that’s going to give callers more confidence that their report will be taken seriously and acted upon, which in turn is going to mean more drunk driving arrests and, hopefully, fewer injuries and deaths caused by impaired drivers.
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Drunk driving accidents can occur in a car collision, but they also can leave helpless victims on the side of a freeway, in pedestrian and bike crashes, or in a recent case, when a drunk driver slammed through the wall of an apartment structure and killed a 16-year-old girl. This is another tragedy that reminds us of the dangers of drunk driving. The case has given rise to criminal charges against the driver, but may also result in civil penalties and a wrongful death case. Any case involving suspected drunk driving should be reviewed by an experienced victims’ advocate.

The innocent victim was a teenage girl sleeping in her bed. Our Boston drunk driving accident attorneys are dedicated to victims’ rights and to seeking justice in drunk driving injury and wrongful death cases. We understand that every situation deserves an independent and thorough investigation to determine cause and identify responsible parties. In this case, the driver has been charged criminally and may face additional civil penalties.
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In the event of a drunk driving tragedy, most families want answers. Who was responsible? What actions or interventions could have prevented the crash? Who is liable? While an initial investigation may answer some or all of these questions, many victims and their families are left with the next question: should we sue? Of course, no lawsuit is going to reverse the damage that has been done or bring back a loved one; however, civil litigation can hold individual drivers responsible and shed light on the dangers of drunk driving. In some instances, a civil lawsuit will force criminal action in the event that none has been filed.

The parents of a Massachusetts teen have been awarded a $2 million judgment against the man who hosted the party the night she was killed in a drunk-driving accident. This case demonstrates that in the event of an accident, there are a number of individuals and entities who may be liable, beyond the drunk driver. Our Boston drunk driving accidents attorneys are committed to helping our clients collect maximum compensation. We are committed to ensuring victims and their families pursue justice against offenders and are able to secure deserved financial compensation for their losses.
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Valets seem like they would be in a good position to prevent driving drunk. After all, a valet holds a person’s car keys when that individual goes into many different restaurants, bars and events. When a patron comes back to pick up his car, a valet can see whether the individual is intoxicated and, in theory, could take action to prevent the person from getting behind the wheel while the driver is drunk.

The reality, however, is that valets do not generally have any type of legal responsibility to stop an intoxicated driver from getting behind the wheel. State drunk driving laws do not generally impose any liability on valets, although dram shop laws in Massachusetts do say that bars and restaurants can be held liable for serving and selling alcohol to visibly intoxicated patrons. A drunk driving injury lawyer can help victims of accidents with intoxicated drivers to determine if a restaurant or bar can be sued after a collision caused by impaired driving.
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Today’s teenage drivers have grown up with messages about the dangers of drunk driving and most young people seem to recognize that driving while impaired is something they are never supposed to do. Yet, Forbes reported on a recent survey indicating that most teens are worse than adults in terms of knowing when they’ve had too much such that it became unsafe to drive.

A spokesperson for Liberty Mutual in Boston indicated that for teens: “there’s a tremendous misunderstanding what it means to be under the influence.” As many as one out of every 10 teens say they “never” drive drunk but they acknowledge that they do sometimes drive after consuming one or more alcoholic beverages. Zero tolerance laws say that people under the age of 21 are in violation of drunk driving laws if they have had any alcohol at all. Boston drunk driving lawyers can help victims of drunk driving collisions to take legal action against teen drivers who have been drinking even if those teens aren’t over the legal limit.
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