Drunk Driving Accidents: When People Who Should Know Better Don't

When you are involved in an Atlanta car accident, you generally hope that a police officer is close by so that you can get assistance and have an accident report prepared. However, few motorists contemplate the officer being quite as close as Doraville police officer Kasey Lindsey who plowed into the rear-end of another vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol.

Lindsey who was off-duty was charged with DUI, following too close and no insurance. The police officer allegedly failed field sobriety tests and failed a blood alcohol test with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.151, nearly twice the legal limit. According to media reports, Officer Lindsey has been suspended.

Stories like this are always surprising because they serve as a reminder that people from all walks of life cause drunk driving accidents. A police officer, more than most people, understands both the seriousness and danger of driving while under the influence of alcohol. The impact of a DUI conviction on a police officer’s career can be significant in addition to the normal penalties that accompany a DUI conviction, particularly one that causes an Atlanta car accident. If one follows media reports, this story is hardly unique as judges, attorneys, politicians, bus drivers and others are arrested and charged with DUI/DWI.

There are many people who by the nature of their job should recognize the poor judgment of engaging in the practice of drunk driving. While it may be surprising that these people drive anyway, sometimes it is simply a product of people not intervening. In a recent bus accident involving a drunk driver, an investigation revealed that the bus driver’s supervisor knew the driver was intoxicated when driving the bus. Multiple co-workers had reported that the bus driver was reporting to work while intoxicated, but the supervisor did not intervene.

When supervisors, family members, friends and colleagues fail to intervene to prevent drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel, tragic DUI fatalities are the unavoidable consequence. Depending on the nature of the relationship between the drunk driver and the person who does not intervene, both parties may be liable for injuries resulting from a drunk driving crash on Georgia roadways. A number of relationships may form the basis for liability in certain circumstances including:

• Employer-employee
• Agent-servant
• Parent-child (based on family use or negligent entrustment)

If you or someone close to you is injured in a serious drunk driving accident in Atlanta or elsewhere throughout Georgia, the experienced team of drunk driving injury accident lawyers at Montlick and Associates may be able to help you obtain justice and compensation for your injuries. Our Georgia drunk driving accident lawyers are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.