Drunk Driving & Madd
One of the major activist groups out there today combating the problem of drivers
who operate their vehicles while inebriated is the Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD. This group, which includes women who have lost children and other family members to this ongoing tragedy, strongly recommends that if you have faced a similar tragedy that you contact a Colorado wrongful death attorney as soon as possible.Drunk Driving Deaths and Injuries and the Law
It is true that operating a vehicle in the State of Colorado while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Depending on the degree of impairment, there are criminal penalties as well as administrative penalties. The former consist of fines, jail time and community service hours; the latter involve revocation of driving privileges (loss of license, etc.) If someone is killed as the result of an accident in which the accused was driving under the influence, the state's prosecutor may seek criminal charges of vehicular homicide. At the very least, this can result in a conviction of voluntary manslaughter.
These charges are addressed in criminal court, which is not an area in which a Colorado wrongful death attorney carries out his/her services.
Drunk Driving and Civil Liability
Colorado wrongful death attorneys and spinal cord injury lawyers in Colorado are litigators. They represent clients in civil lawsuits. Now, here is a problem: a good criminal defense lawyer can get charges reduced, or even dismissed, for a client whose drunk driving resulted in your loss and/or injuries. However, simply because criminal charges have been reduced or dismissed does not mean they are immune to a civil lawsuit.
You may recall that in the late 1990s, celebrity O.J. Simpson was found innocent of murdering his ex-wife and her companion in criminal court, despite evidence of guilt. Later however, the families of the victim brought a lawsuit against Simpson, in which he was found liable for their wrongful deaths and ordered to compensate the families. This is because a judgment in a civil trial is based on "preponderance of evidence," which is a much lower standard than "reasonable doubt." Colorado wrongful death attorney is much more likely to see that you receive justice in such a case.
Even if you survived but received a disabling spinal cord injury, you need to contact a qualified Colorado spinal cord injury lawyer as soon as possible in order to get compensation for wage loss, medical care and other issues. The reason is that there is a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury cases in the State of Colorado, and if you do not file an action within that time, you may lose your right to sue.
Contact a Colorado spinal cord injury lawyer or Colorado wrongful death attorney today if you are the victim of a drunk driver. Most of these attorneys offer a free initial consultation, and if your case is a strong one, will take it on a contingency basis so you pay only if your litigation is successful.
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