Category: Drunk Driving

As your Indiana Drunk Driving accident Attorneys, representing Hoosiers seriously injured in drunk driving accidents all over the State of Indiana from our Indianapolis offices, we know how devastating a drunk driving accident can be.  A drunk driver causes drunk driving accidents because the drunk is impaired and cannot control the car.  In the hands of a drunk driver the car becomes a 2,000 pound missile wreaking havoc on our roads.  We have seen too many drunk driving accidents and the resulting injuries which include spinal cord injuries resulting in paraplegia and quadriplegia, broken bones, brain injury, blindness, and wrongful death.  So what does science tell us about how to determine if a driver is drunk? 

 First it is more precise to use the term impaired.  Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant.  In other words, alcohol depresses (impairs) the signals to and from the brain from the body.  Thus, bodily function, reaction time and judgment become impaired as a result of the alcohol.  The more alcohol in the system, the greater the impairment to the signaling system between the brain and the body and the more danger in the operation of machinery, such as a car. The criminal justice system has different criminal statutes addressing alcohol impairment.  One Such Statute is  I.C. 9-30-5-1. Sec. 1. (a) A person who operates a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent to at least eight-hundredths (0.08) gram of alcohol but less than fifteen-hundredths (0.15) gram of alcohol per: (1) one hundred (100) milliliters of the person’s blood; or  (2) two hundred ten (210) liters of the person’s breath; commits a Class C misdemeanor. (b) A person who operates a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent to at least fifteen-hundredths (0.15) gram of alcohol per: (1) one hundred (100) milliliters of the person’s blood; or (2) two hundred ten (210) liters of the person’s breath; commits a Class A misdemeanor. (c) A person who operates a vehicle with a controlled substance listed in schedule I or II of IC 35-48-2 or its metabolite in the person’s body commits a Class C misdemeanor.
This statute requires proof of a certain alcohol concentration in the blood, it does not require proof of impairment.  Tests are obtained either in the form of breath tests or blood tests.  Under Indiana Law, when a driver obtains an operator’s license, they impliedly consent to a blood or breath test if the authorities have probable cause to believe a driver is driving under the influence. See I.C. 9-30-6-1.  Impairment is not tested with a machine.  Impairment is tested by a couple different observations of trained law enforcement.  The officer detects impairment by observing the operator drive.  Observations of impairment include weaving, taking wide turns, driving at reduced speeds and failing to properly stop at stop signs.  If an officer has reason to believe a person is intoxicated, the officer will have the driver do field sobriety checks.  These include walking a straight line, saying the alphabet, touching the finger to the nose while standing on one leg, etc.  The officer will be asked to testify as to their observations of the driver in performing these tasks when impairment is an issue in the prosecution. 

 There is a great deal more to this topic than this space allows.  If you would like to further discuss these matters, please contact us.

The lawyers of Young & Young are proud to be Indiana Serious Injury Attorneys.  We travel all over the state representing seriously injured Hoosiers from our Indianapolis offices.  We hope you had a wonderful Christmas Season and a safe New Year.  If you are like us you were concerned about drunk driving on New Year’s Eve.  I know you spoke directly to your children and told them to minimize their driving on that night.  For your older children, the warning against drunk driving cannot be heard too often or too loudly.  In Indianapolis, the cab companies offered free rides to anyone over the age of 21.  What a great way to build a good relationship with our community and to keep our families safe.

Drunk driving accidents happen every night, not just on New Year’s Eve.  Warn your children to be careful always.   Drunk driving accidents are always serious, and can lead to serious injury and wrongful death. Our hearts go out to families torn apart by the careless and thoughtless few who choose to get behind the wheel and cause mayhem.  We would like you to know that we take these cases very seriously.  We work with the finest accident reconstructionists, and police agencies to understand exactly what happens in these drunk driving accidents.  We also work closely with nationally known doctors to understand the medicine associated with serious injuries including brain injury, spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis, broken bones, blindness, burns and scarring and wrongful death.  We know you need answers.  We know you are angry.  We know you want a tough and aggressive lawyer to make sure your family is fairly compensated.  We also study the law associated with underinsured and uninsured motorist insurance coverage.  John P. Young has been a lecturer to lawyers across the state about these issues for the last nine years.

We are sorry to report that an Indianapolis woman was critically injured yesterday when she was hit by a hit and run driver.  Now it is true that not every hit and run driver is a drunk driver, but quite a few are.  They run because they are scared they will be caught drinking and driving.  They run because they are cowards and refuse to take responsibility for their actions.  They know they are leaving another human being injured or dyeing on the side of the road, but they don’t care. Tabetha Lynn’s car broke down at about 9:35 pm in the 4600 block of E. 16^th street.  Her emergency flashers were working.  She was standing by her car when an SUV ran into the back of her car and hit her.  Ms. Lynn was left unconscious in the street. If you know the identity of the car and or driver who left the scene, please call crime stoppers.  Your tip is confidential and anonymous.

Some good news and bad news from statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in Washington. In 2009, traffic accident fatalities decreased by 15 percent in Indiana. Unfortunately, reversing a recent trend, there was an 1.9 uptick in drunk-driving-related deaths in the state; this translates to 210 fatalities vs. 206 in 2008.

On a national basis, some additional positive findings in the data:  traffic deaths apparently fell about 10 percent to a 60-year low while U.S. alcohol-related fatalities fell by about 7 percent. According to the NHTSA, car crashes are the leading cause of death for those between the ages of 3 and 34. An NHTSA official suggested that the improved safety numbers are a reflection of increased seat belt enforcement and use along with anti-drunk driving campaigns.

If you or a loved one have been seriously hurt in a traffic accident owing to the actions of a drunk driver, please contact the Indiana personal injury lawyers at Young and Young in Indianapolis to obtain full information about your legal rights to recover money damages in civil court. With 55 years of experience, we stand ready and able to help you make the person who caused the harm to fully compensate you for that harm. Call us, toll free, at 1-888-639-5161 for a no-obligation consultation.

John Young has written several blog postings about the firestorm surrounding IMPD officer David Bisard who was involved in a collision while operating his police cruiser allegedly under the influence of alcohol. A motorcycle operator lost his life in the accident. There was no field-sobriety test taken administered at the scene which is in part the source of the controversy, but a change in police department policy may be on the horizon.

The IndyStar.com website reports as follows:

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department doesn’t require officers involved in crashes to take breath tests to determine whether they were under the influence of alcohol…”My sense is we will be moving very quickly in that direction” for police,  [Indianapolis public safety director Frank] Straub said.

DUI charges against the officer were dismissed for lack of evidence, but he is far from out the woods.  He still faces reckless homicide and criminal recklessness charges.

Mandatory field sobriety testing following accidents is already in effect for Indianapolis firefighters, so the precedent has been established; it’s likely a similar protocol will soon be implemented for police officers.

Leaving aside the specifics of this controversy, drunk drivers sadly come from all walks of live.  In a drunk driving-related traffic accident, each motorist should be treated equally under the law, and then let the chips fall where they may based on where the evidence leads.

It’s bad enough for a drunk driver to harm someone in another car, but it’s even more devastating when the driver’s own family winds up in the emergency ward perhaps because of incredibly irresponsible behavior by the head of the household.

Earlier this week, a motorist in Noble County, Indiana, failed to stop at an intersection and collided with another vehicle. The motorist had his wife and two young daughters (one of whom was a toddler) in the car, and the girls were flown to a Ft. Wayne hospital for treatment for internal injuries. Apparently neither child was buckled in which may have compounded their injuries.  According to media reports, police found open alcoholic beverage containers in and around the car. Police charged him with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and he may have had prior convictions for the same offense. Additional felony charges may emerge from this incident. Fortunately no one was hurt in the other vehicle.

Someone who may be an active alcoholic has no business getting the wheel and putting his or her own family in harm’s way.  What about the other potential innocent victims too? In this particular incident, two families came close to almost being destroyed in a car wreck that apparently could and should have been avoided. What will take for people to get the message?

If you (or a loved one) have been injured in a drunk driving accident through no fault of your own, Young & Young wants to help you with our experience as Indiana drunk driving accident lawyers and attorneys. Call us toll free, at 1-888-639-5161, for a no-obligation consultation.

A state motorist recently became subject to the full legal consequences of his involvement in an alcohol-related fatal accident in Gary, Indiana. The motorist, a 41-year-old man from Portage, received a 14-year sentence, the maximum allowable under Indiana law, as a result of crossing the center line and crashing head-on into a car driven by a mother of two from East Chicago, Illinois. The man registered a BAC of more than twice the legal limit according to authorities. The woman tragically died at the scene of the accident that occurred about one year ago.

Last month, the driver pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death and for being a habitual substance offender. The court formally imposed the prison term on Monday. He may also face a wrongful death lawsuit in civil court arising from the same horrific car wreck.

We’ve issued this warning over and over. For your sake, and for the sake of your family, as well as innocent drivers and passengers in other cars, if you choose to drink, do not, under any circumstances, try to drive. To make matters worse, repeat offenders, in particular, account for a huge number of drunk driving accidents on our roads. If you need to get into an automobile after having one too many, use a designated driver or call a cab.

John P. Young is your Indiana drunk driving accident lawyer.  Mr. Young practices out of Indianapolis with his partners at Young & Young.  Young & Young was founded in 1954 with the sole purpose of assisting Hoosiers injured in accidents including drunk driving accidents.  For over 56 years Young & Young has been hard at work using the law to help Hoosier families get back on their feet with the aid of fair compensation for their injuries.  We have been studying the medicine involved in accident cases for those 56 years.  We have learned from local, national and international experts in medicine all about the medicine necessary to treat serious personal injuries.  Knowing this medicine assist us in teaching jurors all about your injuries, what it will take to heal your injuries and why you deserve fair compensation for those injuries.

At Young & Young we respect organizations which work tirelessly to educate the    public about the dangers of drunk driving.  We salute Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).  MADD was started by a grieving mother whose child suffered a wrongful death at the hands of a drunk driving accident.  At that time society looked the other way when it came to the crime of drunk driving.  We seemed to think hey everyone does it, it is not so bad.  Losing a child is the most traumatic event a person can live through.  Worse yet, to know that a drunk driver was responsible is worse yet.  Thank you to the people dedicated to educating the public that have led to stiffer penalties and intolerance in society.

We have frank discussions with our children about the dangers of alcohol.  Part of those discussions are that if you have chosen to drink, do not, under any circumstance try to drive.  Call us, we will come pick you up.  We will discuss, the next day, their choice to drink, but we will never find fault with the call that keeps them from getting behind the wheel.  You can find ideas about how to talk with your children by visiting the MADD website.

Preventing Drunk Driving Accidents is everyone’s business – it is in all our best interests, it may be our child lost to the drunk driver.  Let’s put a stop to it.

As everyone knows, last night was Game 7 of the NBA Championship between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. A horrific highway accident out of Massachusetts may have a connection with the deciding game. A state trooper who had pulled over another driver weaving across lanes in an Acura on suspicion of drunk driving in the early morning hours was killed by another driver, who apparently also was drunk. According to the Boston Herald, "As [the officer] spoke with that driver… another driver allegedly smashed a Ford truck into the Acura, which dragged [the officer] across three lanes."

A 28-year-veteran of the force, the trooper leaves a wife and four children. Both drivers in question had extensive driving infractions and multiple traffic accidents on their records.  The driver of the Ford truck on a preliminary basis has been charged with vehicular homicide among other things, and additional charges may be forthcoming following an investigation. The Acura driver has been charged with drunk driving. There are a lot of as-yet unanswered questions in this incident, which the investigation will probably resolve.

This is pure speculation at this point, but perhaps one or both of the men could have been returning from Celtics viewing parties or sports bars. For what’s it worth, the Ford motorist is pictured in the Boston Herald wearing a Celtics jersey as he is being led into a Massachusetts court today. The state has revoked the licenses of both drivers, and the likelihood is that the operator of the truck will spend a significant time behind bars. A civil suit for wrongful death is also likely.

Major sporting events, particularly the Super Bowl, have almost become national holidays. With celebrations comes drinking. Most people drink responsibly, but this tragedy reaffirms that sadly not everyone takes the dangers associated with alcohol and driving seriously.

John P. Young of the Indianapolis Injury Lawyer firm, Young and Young is your Indiana and Indianapolis Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer. As we keep our eye on how the law deals with drunk driving accidents, we observe the following developments.

John G. Wilson, III was sentenced yesterday to 12 year in prison. He was convicted this month of driving while intoxicated causing death. The deaths were of his three friends. The drunk driving accident took place while Mr. Wilson was driving drunk in the 4700 block of Moller road in Indianapolis. He lost control of his car and slammed into a tree. Two of his friends were killed instantly and the third died from the injuries he sustained in the claim. We advocate that in addition to the jail time he received he should be forced, through a civil claim to make up for the harm he caused, the wrongful death of his three friends. The families have lost so much. Society has lost the intelligence and energy of these three young men. Who knows one of these men might have invented something that saved the world from a grave problem. However, we will never know.

In another accident, Donnie Gipson was jailed for driving drunk and killing two people on a motorcycle. The accident took place on Massachusetts Ave. near its intersection with Samoa Street. Killed were Donald Wilson and his passenger Erica Alexandria Ford, both of Indianapolis. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the deceased. We also hope and pray that Mr. Gipson pays his debt to society, makes up for the harm he caused to these families, quits drinking and lives the rest of his life in a way which will honor those lost.

Lastly, a Franklin High school teacher was arrested for suspected drunk driving. Matthew Krulik, age 26 now faces charges and potentially the loss of his job. Thank goodness no one was injured or killed.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a drunk driver in a drunk driving accident, call John P. Young toll free at 1-888-639-5161 or on the web at john@youngandyoungin.com. We guarantee we will charge no fee until we have collected fair compensation for you and your family.

John P. Young, as an Indiana Drunk Driving accident attorney, offers you some of the law regarding providing alcohol to minors. It is illegal to provide alcohol to a minor (Ind. Code 7.1-5-7-8), and to encourage a minor to possess alcohol (Ind. Code 7.1-5-7-15).  Violating these statutes creates resumption that the person who violated the statutes is negligent.  Negligence is what an Injured Hoosier must prove in order to recover from a person who caused their injuries, and the injuries to their families.  It matters not that the person who provides the alcohol is a party host or a bar or a liquor store.  The Courts have determined that public policy strongly favors making people who violate these statutes responsible for the harm they cause.  Serving alcohol to minors is deemed inappropriate by the same public policy.   

Minor drivers have a number of things going against them already, we cannot tolerate minors driving and drinking.  Minors have less experience behind the wheel and less experience means less ability to control a car in an emergency.  A minor may have that bravado than nothing can happen to me, so they drive recklessly to get a rush or to try and impress their friends.  Teenage brains are not fully developed and what might make sense to an adult might not be a danger sign to a teenager.  Teenagers are in that texting mode, and may not give the road the full attention it deserves.  Mix in alcohol, wherein the reaction time is slowed, the bravado might be increased and the lack of concern for danger grows and you have a recipe for disaster.

Years ago people were not as concerned about these issues as they are today.  Drunk driving fatalities among teenagers are still too high, and every wrongful death is painful.  However, awareness and tighter control on alcohol are heading fatality statistics in the downward direction.

If you have been injured by a drunk driver, call John P. Young. The call is toll free 1-888-639-5161 or on the web at john@youngandyoungin.com.  We guarantee we will charge no fee unless we collect fair compensation for you and your family. Call today.

Yet another instance where a car operated by a suspected intoxicated driver can become a lethal weapon. A Muncie, Indiana, man driving his fiancée’s two young children home from daycare veered off the road and smashed head-on into a tree on Tuesday night at about 5:30 p.m. The driver as well as the children ages 5 and 2 were all wearing seat belts. However, the older child was flown to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis for emergency surgery and is said to be in stable condition. The younger child only suffered minor injuries fortunately, and driver himself came through okay. According to local media, the driver told police he had consumed four beers and a couple of shots” four hours before the wreck. Blood and breathalyzer tests apparently indicate that the motorist was legally drunk. On a preliminary basis, the motorist has been charged with driving while intoxicated resulting in injury and two counts each of neglect of a dependent and driving while suspended causing injury. Police also notified Child Protective Services of the incident. The motorist, who is currently in Delaware County Jail, apparently has two priors for drunk driving.

Safety is everyone’s business. As we have said time and again, getting behind the wheel after having one too many can be one of the most dangerous things that a motorist can do. It jeopardizes the safety of the vehicle operator, his or her passengers including innocent children, and other motorists on Indiana roads.

Based on many years of experience, we know that drunk drivers can devastate Hoosier families. If you or a loved one have been seriously hurt by a driver under the influence, please contact the personal injury lawyers at Young and Young in Indianapolis to obtain full information about your legal rights to recover money damages in civil court.

When we think about the disastrous effects of drunk driving, the image conjured up is usually a car-on-car accident. However, a suspected drunk driver mowed down two 15-year-old girls who were merely walking on the sidewalk in Indianapolis near Keystone Avenue. To make matters worse, the driver fled the scene, although he was shortly thereafter arrested by police after ramming a parked car. The motorist apparently has a long rap sheet, including two previous drunken driving convictions. One of the teens is listed in critical condition, while the other has been upgraded to stable. Hopefully both girls will fully recover from their injuries, and we wish them all the best.

The motorist, who is in Marion County Jail, faces the following preliminary charges: causing an injury while operating a vehicle while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated, and failure to stop after an accident involving injury. [As we discussed in a prior blog entry, in late March a visitor to Indianapolis was killed by a suspected drunk driver in a car-on-pedestrian accident.]

In a horrendous case like this, the criminal justice system will obviously prosecute the suspect (who is innocent until proven guilty) to the fullest extent of the law. Separately, the civil justice system allows the victim and the victim’s family to seek money damages from the offender to compensate them for the injuries. That’s where a qualified, experienced personal injury lawyer comes in. If you, a friend, or a loved one has been injured in a drunk driving accident, call Young & Young in Indianapolis for a personal, confidential, and no-charge consultation. Our firm has 55 years of experience helping Hoosiers obtain full compensation for injuries caused by intoxicated drivers on Indiana roads.

As we have underscored previously, drunk driving can have devastating consequences. Injuries may include broken bones, spinal cord injuries including paraplegia and quadriplegia, brain injury, scarring, and even wrongful death. According to some estimates, there are over 500,000 people injured in alcohol-related crashes each year. And while drunk drivers come in all shapes, ages and sizes, underage drinking is a major problem in Indiana and all around the country.

One of the main priorities of the Indiana State Police is removing intoxicated drivers from state roads before they can harm anyone else.  The legal limit in Indiana as in most states is a BAC of 0.08. According to the ISP, motorists can avoid finding themselves “over the limit and under arrest” by following these reminders:

Plan ahead and always designate a designated driver before consuming alcohol

Don’t get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking alcohol–call a taxi or sober friend

Take care of your friends.  Never let a friend drive while impaired–  take their keys

If you are hosting a party, always offer non-alcoholic beverages.  Make sure all of your guests leave with a sober driver

Never provide alcohol to anyone under the legal drinking age of 21

Call 911 if you see an erratic driver on the road with a description of the vehicle, location, and direction of travel

If you or a loved one have been seriously hurt by a driver under the
influence, please contact the personal injury lawyers at Young and Young in
Indianapolis to obtain full information about your legal rights to recover money damages in civil court.

A pedestrian who happened to be attending a horror film convention was tragically killed in Indianapolis on Thursday morning. According to police, the victim, a California filmmaker and actor, was run over after an eastbound car swerved out of the traffic lane and struck him in the 7700 block of East 21st Street about 10:30 a.m. The victim died at the scene.

Police arrested the motorist on preliminary charges of DUI causing death and transported him to Wishard Memorial Hospital for a blood test. The test results are  pending, according to local news media. The victim was in Indianapolis for the HorrorHound Weekend convention at the Indianapolis Marriott East.

It is well documented that alcohol slows reaction times, impairs judgment, and leads to accidents, sometimes with fatal consequences. In addition to facing criminal charges, drunk drivers who injure or kill other motorists or passengers–or in this case, allegedly someone merely walking down the street– can also be sued in civil court for money damages. If you or a loved one have been seriously hurt by a driver under the influence, please contact the personal injury lawyers at Young and Young in Indianapolis to obtain full information about your legal rights. Young and Young will keep tabs on the criminal prosecution of drunk drivers, including convictions or plea deals, which forms crucial evidence to help you recover fair compensation for your injuries in civil court.

Following up a previous post, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed into law the bill known as “Drew’s Law.” The measure was among 57 bills that the governor approved on March 12.

The law makes it a Class D felony to cause the death of an unborn child in a drunk driving accident. The bill is named in the memory of  Drew Steinberger, the unborn son of Danielle and Dustin Steinberger,  who was tragically killed on New Year’s Eve 2007 when the car his mother was driving was hit head-on by another driver.

The motorist of the other vehicle in this particular case was apparently believed to be drunk. Owing to a mix-up, however, authorities never took a blood sample, so there was no DUI prosecution.

The bill previously sailed through the Indiana Senate and House with no opposition. State Senator Allen Paul, R-Richmond, originally sponsored the bill at the request of the Steinberger family. A similar law is in effect in 36 other states.

Drew’s Law becomes effective in Indiana on July 1, 2010.

In addition to facing criminal charges, drunk drivers who injure other motorists or passengers can also be sued in civil court for money damages. If you or a loved one have been seriously hurt by a driver under the influence, please contact the personal injury lawyers at Young and Young in Indianapolis. We stand ready to assist. As we mentioned in another blog entry, we keep tabs on criminal prosecutions of drunk drivers,  including convictions or plea deals, which forms crucial evidence to help you recover fair compensation for your injuries in civil court.

John P. Young is your Indiana drunk driving accident lawyer.  Mr. Young knows that keeping tabs on the criminal prosecution of the drunk driver who caused your injuries is crucial to helping you recover fair compensation for your injuries.  Why is it so important?

We know from experience that drunk driving accidents can be devastating.  Your injuries will probably be worse if it is a motorcycle accident.  Those injuries may include broken bones, spinal cord injuries including paraplegia and quadriplegia, brain injury, scarring and even wrongful death.  With these kinds of injuries, you will build up medical bills fast.  You may not be able to work immediately after the accident and for a long time after.  Therefore handling your claim against the drunk driver right is crucial.  Mr. Young knows working with your investigating police and prosecutor is very important.

It is important for many reasons.  The police should do a thorough investigation of the facts leading up to, during and after the collision.  This includes taking measurements and pictures at the scene, talking to witnesses, taking evidence to test the drunk driver (breath and blood tests).  Our investigation follows the police investigation to collect any evidence which might have been missed.  We work with the police, not against them, to insure all the evidence is collected.  We follow the prosecution of the drunk driver, providing any and all information they may need. We also consult with our client who has been requested to speak with the prosecutor about the prosecution, just to make them feel more comfortable with the process.

If the drunk driver is convicted, or accepts a plea agreement, we obtain the transcripts of the drunk driver’s admissions.  These admission are admissible in civil court (where we bring the claim for fair compensation for your injuries) to prove that the drunk driver was negligent and caused your injuries.  This is a very efficient and effective method of establishing the drunk driver’s obligation to make up for the harm he/she caused you and your family.

If you have been injured by a drunk driver, in a drunk driver accident, call John P. Young for a free consultation.  Mr. Young and his partners will work for you and with you to protect you and your family.

Although it is illegal, many people still drink and drive. Drunk drivers cause all kinds of havoc.  It is common for drunk drivers to be in large truck accidents, semi tractor trailer accidents, traffic accidents, accidents with motorcycles, trucking accidents, accidents with pedestrians. The injuries and damages caused by a wreck with a drunk driver can be horrible.  So what is an Indiana Drunk Driving lawyer and why do you need one?

An Indiana Drunk Driving lawyer is an experienced accident lawyer and injury lawyer who makes it their business to make drunk drivers clean up the messes they make.  The smart injury attorney knows that fair compensation is essential for Hoosiers who have been injured by a drunk driver.  Experience is key.  You cannot afford to risk your family’s financial welfare by hiring a lawyer who does not work every day on pursuing drunk drivers when they have hurt another.  What does experience give you?  It gives you rapid response when the case first occurs.  It gives you the ability to work with police and prosecutors in the prosecution of the drunk driver who caused the injuries.  It gives you the knowledge of how to use the guilty plea or conviction of the drunk driver to your advantage when pressing your rights to fair compensation.  It gives you the ability to interact with your doctors to most effectively demonstrate the full extent of your injuries.  Sometimes graphic depictions of your injuries or how the injuries affect your life are essential to proving the full extent of the harm.

An experienced Indiana Drunk Driving Attorney gives you that personal touch, based on working with thousands of Hoosier families.  It gives you home visits and hospital visits and rehabilitation visits and discussions about how you are going to get through all of this with your family and life intact. At Young and Young, we are experienced Indiana Drunk Driving attorneys.  John P. Young has been on the front line with families who have been devastated by drunk drivers. Mr. Young has represented Hoosiers injured by drunk drivers for more than 21 years.  Mr. Young is a member of Mother Against Drunk Driving and has been for years.  Mr. Young has been in attendance at Mothers Against Drunk Driving Victim Impact Statements.  Mr. Young has created day in the life videos telling those who need to hear it, all about this special person who was killed by the drunk driver, or all about the injuries caused by the drunk driver.  Mr. Young is an experienced and aggressive Indiana Drunk Driving injury attorney.  Call today.

In our last discussion about the drunk driver, and forcing them to properly compensate the person they injured or killed, we discussed  that the drunk driver harms their victims in many ways.  The physical injuries, including paralysis, spinal cord injury, back injury, brain injury, amputation, may last for the rest of the victims life.  This impacts not only the injured Hoosier, but his or her family.  If the victim cannot work, the family suffers the loss of support. Children may not eat properly, may not have proper housing and clothes, and may have their education impacted.  If the Hoosier suffers wrongful death, all these things will happen unless the victim and his family is properly compensated.

The good injury attorney starts by preserving evidence as we already discussed.  Another important aspect of such a claim is working with the police and prosecutors to make  sure the best evidence is available at the criminal trial.  There are five different levels of investigation performed by the investigating police agency.  The level of investigation is generally directed by the seriousness of the highway crash or car crash.  If the car crash caused a death, a level five investigation is generally performed.  This includes taking pictures, and in depth witness statements.  The pictures include of the street, for skid marks or other marks on the street.  This investigation usually includes measurements of the skid marks from start of the crash to the end.  If death does not result from the car crash, the police agency may do a lesser investigation.  This is why it is important for the victim and his family to do their own investigation.  This starts with hiring a competent injury attorney.  The competent injury attorney has the resources available to complete the investigation the police do not perform.  This includes finding witnesses, taking additional pictures and other important matters.

Once the investigation is complete, cooperation with the prosecutor is essential.  The reason for this is, a conviction of the drunk driver on charges of driving while intoxicated, or a plea agreement pleading guilty to these charges can be used in the civil claim against the drunk driver to show they are responsible for the harm they caused.  A short review may be helpful.  In any drunk driving crash two separate cases arise, criminal and civil.  The criminal case is handled by the prosecutor and is based on the state’s criminal code.  The result of a conviction in a criminal case is usually jail and probation.  The civil case is brought to compensate the victim, to try to obtain sufficient funds to pay medical bills both past and future, lost wages both past and future, and money for permanent injury and pain. Both types of cases are extremely important.  The criminal case is brought to deter others from drunk driving.  The civil case is brought to compensate the injured person and his family.

In our next installment, we will talk about the sources of money available to compensate the hurt Hoosier, and his family.

At Young and Young, we are a family firm with a legal presence in Indiana for more than one hundred consecutive years.  We have been focused solely on injury accidents for the last 55 years.  We have the experience and resources to help Hoosier families recover what they need to live fulfilling lives.  Whether you have been injured in a car accident, a traffic accident, a truck accident, a motorcycle accident, or hit by a drunk driver, we stand ready to help.

Thousands of Hoosiers are killed, paralyzed, suffer spinal cord injury, brain injury, amputation, and wrongful death in a car accident with a drunk driver. Traffic accidents with drunk drivers cost the injured or killed Hoosier and their families dearly not only in medical bills and lost income, but also in the loss of the injured or killed persons love, attention and affection.  The reader might say that the lost wages and the medical bills are the real burden, but I say that loneliness is what we humans fear most.  Isolation from our friends and loved ones is terrifying.  It costs us our support network and our sense of security.  Taking a spouse or a child away from us opens a hole in our lives we may never again be able to fill.  If loneliness is not the worst loss we can suffer, then why are internet match services so popular, why do churches have mixers for singles, why is that when an old person is left alone they die more quickly?  Loneliness is devastating.

When the drunk driver enters our world and causes a fatal accident, or a car wreck that paralyzes, or a traffic accident that result in back injury and brain injury, the law gives the injured a remedy.  Often an accident attorney or accident lawyer will be an important early call.  This is important because the capable accident lawyer will immediately begin an investigation to preserve all the evidence needed to ensure proper compensation for the victim.

Tire marks on the road, such as skid marks, fade quickly on busy streets.  A good accident lawyer will visit the scene within days of being hired to document the scene with pictures and measurements.  You may think, well hey, the police have been at the scene, surely they will document the scene.  While this may be true, often they do not take enough pictures and often will make no measurements at all.  If a thorough documentation of the scene is not made, crucial evidence may be lost, allowing the drunk driver the opportunity to get away with not compensating you or your loved one.

In our next blog, we will continue with how a good accident and injury attorney insures you and your family are protected when a drunk driver causes a traffic accident or a highway accident.  The tips contained in this blog are based on more than fifty five years of experience investigating drunk driver car wrecks.  Fifty five years  of experience from a family law firm helping our fellow Hoosiers.