Marie Crooke and her daughter Jennifer Hunt were killed by an alleged drunk driver just days before New Year’s. The two women were riding in Ms. Crooke’s car in Mathews Township when Justin Jones slammed into their vehicle, killing the two women and injuring Ms. Hunt’s daughters who were also passengers in the vehicle. Mr. Jones faces charges of felony death by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, driving while intoxicated (DWI) and reckless driving.
Unfortunately, such stories seem to happen all too frequently here in North Carolina. We have some rather dangerous roads and, in spite of some of the toughest DWI laws in the country, drunk driving still takes too many of our neighbors.
In North Carolina, a drunk driver’s callous disregard for human life is punishable both by the criminal justice system and by the civil courts. Under state law, you are entitled to file a personal injury lawsuit against the drunk driver who hurt you or your loved ones. Many of these insurance claims settle out of court without the need for a lawsuit. You may be entitled to extra damages, called punitive damages, in addition to compensatory damages. Punitive damages are designed to punish the at-fault driver for the recklessness of driving drunk. You may also be able to recover additional damages from third parties, such as a bar or restaurant, if the person was allowed to drive by a third party who clearly knew that the person was impaired.
Getting justice for you or a loved one injured by a drunk driver doesn’t have to cost you anything upfront. Our personal injury attorneys work with victims of drunk drivers on a contingency basis: we get paid only if you get paid. So if you or a loved one has been injured in a drunk driving incident, call a qualified personal injury attorney today.