Drunk Driving

Follow-up to Florida Polo Mogul Retrial

Published on: November 12, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Late last week, the founder of the International Polo Club was found guilty in a fatal drunk-driving crash. A local news report explained that the defendant was found guilty in 2012 for the accident, but it was overturned after juror misconduct was discovered. The case was retried, and after four hours of jury deliberation the defendant was found guilty of vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter.

Apparently, the defendant ran a stop sign while drunk and slammed into a 23-year-old recent college graduate. He left the scene of the crime and did not call 911 until approximately one hour later, at which point the victim had already passed.

His attorneys attempted to argue that the test that gauged his blood alcohol concentration was inaccurate and that his car may have malfunctioned. However, even after his retrial he was found guilty.

Polo Star Back in Court in Florida Regarding DUI Manslaughter Case

Published on: October 30, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

A multi-millionaire polo star is back in court regarding a 2010 DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide case. According to a local news report, four years ago a recent college grad was driving a Hyundai when the defendant crashed his Bentley into him. Evidently, the defendant waited over an hour before calling the authorities or 911.

He was convicted of this crime in 2012, but the conviction was subsequently thrown out because of juror misconduct. The new trial started late last week, where he once again pleaded not guilty. The defendant is claiming that his car malfunctioned and that he was not intoxicated, although his blood alcohol concentration was double the legal limit.

Responsible Parties in Car Accident Claims

In Florida, car accident claims can be based on the negligence of several people or entities. For example, a victim may claim the negligence of another driver, or an entity that designed an unsafe road, or even a manufacturer of a part of a car.

Florida Family Wracked By Drunk Driver

Published on: August 27, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

One Florida family is lucky to be alive after a drunk driver crashed into their car as they were leaving a “Movies in the Park” event in Clay County. According to a report by News 4 Jax, the driver—a sixth-grade school teacher—was with her two children, her pregnant sister, and her nephew when a drunk driver ran a red light and slammed into their car.

Everyone in the car was seriously injured. The driver suffered a broken pelvis, a sacral fracture, and severe brain swelling. Evidently, the drunk driver hit her car directly where she was sitting. Doctors told her they are not sure how she survived the accident.

Her pregnant sister initially thought she had lost the baby, but doctors were able to deliver her son a full 11 weeks early. He was three pounds at birth.

Man Arrested in Fatal Lake County DUI Accident

Published on: August 22, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

A few weeks ago in Lake County, a 20-year-old man was killed when he was struck by a drunk driver. According to a report by a local news source, the accident occurred on eastbound State Road 46, just east of Wekiva River Road.

Evidently, the victim was standing in the eastern-most lane when the drunk driver struck him, sending the man into the median. He died on the scene. Apparently, the victim was on his way to Wekiva River to meet up with some friends.

The driver has been arrested and charged with misdemeanor DUI and failure to submit to a breathalyzer test. It is not clear whether the victim in this case was at fault in the accident. Continue reading ›

Ocala Woman Gets into DUI Accident with Her Autistic Child on Her Lap

Published on: July 17, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Earlier this year, a 28-year-old woman was charged with DUI and child neglect after she crashed into a tree while her toddler was on her lap, unsecured by any seatbelt or safety device. To make matters worse, the woman’s blood alcohol content was three times the limit at the time of the accident.

According to a report by News 13, the accident occurred late on a Saturday at the intersection of Southwest 10th Street and Southwest 27th Avenue in Ocala. When police arrived on the scene, the woman was outside of the vehicle attempting to get her 6-year-old son out of the back of the car. A witness to the accident, a teenage boy, was holding the woman’s other child, a two-year-old autistic boy. The witness told police that the child was on the woman’s lap at the time of the accident.

Police also noticed that the woman was not stable on her feet and was making strange, inappropriate comments about how she had just washed her car. Upon testing the woman, the police determined that she was legally intoxicated.

Pothead Princess Claims She Can’t Remember Causing the Traffic Accident that Killed Two

Published on: May 27, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

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. Continue reading ›

Scooter Accident Lands Gator Outfielder on Indefinite Suspension

Published on: March 10, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

In February, a sophomore outfielder for the Florida Gators was involved in a scooter accident in Gainesville. According to a report by the Independent Florida Alligator, the sophomore was riding his scooter southbound on Southwest 10th Street when he struck a curb and then collided with a parked truck at about 1:25 a.m.

When police arrived on the scene, they found the driver laying on the ground, breathing but unresponsive. According to the responding officers, there was a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. He was then taken to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police are investigating whether alcohol was involved in the accident, and are waiting to press charges until they get back the results from the toxicology reports. However, the sophomore player has been indefinitely suspended from the Gators for his involvement in the accident. Continue reading ›

Pop Star Justin Beiber Arrested for DUI, Out on Bail

Published on: February 1, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Earlier this week, the famed pop star Justin Beiber was pulled over by police when he was caught drag racing down a residential street in Miami Beach. He was driving a yellow Lamborghini. According to a report by CBS News, once police pulled Beiber over he smelled of alcohol and was uncooperative. Beiber failed the field sobriety tests administered by the arresting officer and was booked for DUI, driving with an expired license, and resisting arrest. He later admitted to drinking, smoking marijuana, and taking prescription medication.

Beiber has since posted the $2,500 cash bail set by the judge and remains out of police custody. His attorney hopes that the case will proceed as any other case would.

Speed and Alcohol Are a Deadly Combination

In a way, Justin Beiber is incredibly lucky. The police clocked him traveling 60 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone. Combining the speed at which he was traveling with his compromised reflexes and reaction times due to the substances in his system, the situation could have been catastrophic. Instead he will likely get off with community service, fines, and court costs. Continue reading ›

The Role Social Media Can Play in a Florida Personal Injury Case

Published on: January 27, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Last year in November, two best friends were killed when a young woman drove down a one-way street the wrong direction, colliding with the friends’ car head on. Shortly after the accident, it surfaced that the driver of the car traveling the wrong way had allegedly tweeted “2 drunk 2 care” just a few hours beforehand.

This prompted a deeper investigation into the driver’s character. Upon looking into her online presence on social media sites, the result was shocking. The young woman admitted to being a “pot head princess” repeatedly on various social media sites. Time and time again, she brazenly displayed her party lifestyle to all who would listen.

According to a recent article by the New York Daily News, the toxicology reports came back indicating that the young woman was indeed intoxicated. As a minor, she was permitted to have a blood-alcohol content of no more than .02. However, her results came back showing a blood-alcohol content of .15. In addition, she tested positive for marijuana use. While police have not yet charged the young woman with a crime, the accident is still under investigation. Continue reading ›