In a tragic case, a man was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for killing an elderly woman while under the influence of prescription drugs. He pled guilty to DUI vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in a plea agreement. Prosecutors agreed to drop the charge of murder as part of the agreement.
When police arrested him, they found he had four previous DUI convictions and his license was revoked. Tests showed that he was driving under the influence of prescription drugs. The old woman that was hit was talking with a friend while walking her dog. The driver’s truck veered onto the sidewalk and hit the victim and her dog. An interlock device was installed in the truck, but those devices cannot examine the breath for other kinds of drugs.
When fatal accidents happen like this, the criminal justice system will prosecute vigorously, as they should. The victim’s family might also be interested in pursuing a civil case. Many times both types of cases are filed since they perform different functions. Criminal law penalties are meant to punish, while civil law penalties are meant to compensate the victims of the crime.
The attorneys of Milligan, Beswick, Levine & Knox can help you file a wrongful death case if you’ve had someone close to you die in an accident. You have enough to go through after the death of a loved one. Don’t let financial obligations further burden you. Call our offices for more information.