Drunk driving has been a subject of discussion on this blog on several occasions. In most of the stories highlighted, a drunk driver causes a car accident in which another driver or a pedestrian is injured or killed. But sometimes drunk driving can have other consequences.
For instance, in a recent drunk driving case, a Philadelphia man allegedly crashed his car into a business, damaging an area of the building and scattering broken glass and debris across the parking lot. He also apparently collided with a sign marking a cemetery, destroying the sign.
The driver, who had abandoned his car at the scene, was later found by police at a nearby gas station. The 23-year-old man admitted to officers that he was drunk, and his blood alcohol content level was measured at 0.21 percent. The legal BAC in Pennsylvania is 0.08 percent.
Thankfully, no one was injured in this accident. But the crash did result in property damage. And though damage to a property is clearly less serious than injury to a human, it nonetheless gives a property owner legal recourse to seek compensation for any losses.
A personal injury attorney can help a victim of negligent property damage assess the cost of repairing their property. In a civil suit, a plaintiff may sue a drunk driver as well as their auto insurance carrier for the damage caused. If the defendants choose not to settle the claim outside of the courtroom, the case will go to trial. In a successful suit, a judge or jury can order the negligent driver to compensate the property owner for the cost of their losses.
Source: Lower Moreland Patch, "DUI Driver Crashes into Cemetery Sign; Wrecks Local Business," Jan. 21, 2013
