Last year, a 20 year-old female who was out partying after work one day got behind the wheel of her car after drinking too much and ended up in an accident that killed two 21 year-old best friends. At the time of the car accident she had a blood alcohol level of .15, over five times the legal limit for someone who is not supposed to be drinking at all. After the investigation of the accident, the self-proclaimed “pothead princess” was discovered to have sent out a tweet explaining that she was “2 drunk 2 care.” While the girl claimed that the tweet was a response to her boyfriend who was upset with her for staying out late drinking, others hypothesize that it was evidence of her lackadaisical attitude towards drinking and driving and the consequences that can come with it. In a recent development to the story, the girl responsible for the accident now claims that she does not remember getting into the accident, but is sorry that it occurred. In her first public interview with Inside Edition, the woman explained, “I wish there was something I could say to make up for what happened . . . But no matter how many ‘sorrys,’ apologies, tears I cry — no matter how much I hate myself for what happened, nothing I say will change anything.” Despite her feelings of regret, the victims of the accident are still dead, and she will face eight criminal charges for her role in the accident, including vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter. Criminal and Civil Cases Arising from the Same Accident As the story above indicates, the drunk driver is going to face significant criminal penalties for her role in causing the accident that took the lives of two young girls. However, the families of the two girls can also file a civil claim seeking monetary damages from the driver and her insurance company. While the two causes of action are completely different and often end up in totally different courts, the evidence used to prove the criminal claim can often be used by civil plaintiffs to prove their case as well. This is extremely important, as civil plaintiffs are able to “piggy back” on the state-of-the-art investigations conducted by the state police in many cases. Are You In Need of a Florida Personal Injury Attorney? If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a serious Florida auto accident, you should speak with an experienced Ocala personal injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss the facts of your case. It may be that you are eligible for significant monetary compensation based on the other driver’s negligent handling of their automobile. The Dean Law Firm has a dedicated team of personal injury attorneys ready to speak with you about your case. To speak to an attorney today, call 352-387-8700 or click here to schedule an appointment online. More Blog Posts: Florida Plaintiff Almost Loses Opportunity to Recover Based on Sloppy Filings, Ocala Injury Lawyers Blog, published March 31, 2014. Florida Court Corrects Arbitrator’s Error of Law in Recent Court of Appeals Case, Ocala Injury Lawyers Blog, published March 31, 2014.
