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2019-personalinjury

Impaired driving statistics: facts you should know

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Milwaukee Drunk Driving Statistics

Impaired driving statistics and facts you should know

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Thursday, November 13, 2014.

Impaired driving continues to be a significant problem across the U.S. Every day, approximately 30 people die nationwide in alcohol-related car accidents. About 30 percent of all traffic accidents in the U.S. involve alcohol. Wisconsin has the highest drunk driving rates of any state, and about 36 percent of all accidents are alcohol-related. More than 10,000 deaths occurred nationwide in 2012; 223 of those were Wisconsin residents. An additional 3,000 people were injured in Wisconsin due to impaired driving.

Young people are at the highest risk for getting behind the wheel after drinking. Of the fatal alcohol-related crashes in the U.S. in 2012, about 30 percent were drivers between the ages of 21 and 24. Motorcyclists are the next-highest group of at-risk drivers. Almost a third of motorcycle fatalities involved alcohol, and in Wisconsin, 33 percent of motorcycle fatalities were drivers who had a blood alcohol level of more than .08 percent. About seven percent of fatalities were of drivers with a prior conviction of DUI.

Many states are taking steps to reduce the frequency of drunk driving. Successful efforts include sobriety checkpoints, license restriction, assessment and treatment for substance abusers and an enforcement of the zero-tolerance rule for underage drunk drivers. Some states are also considering reducing the legal limit to .05 percent and requiring mandatory drug testing in accidents where there are injuries.

If a person is injured in a drunk driving accident , they may wish to pursue a personal injury claim. Personal injury claims are intended to assist the victim in recovering monetary damages and compensation for pain and suffering. An attorney can potentially help determine the most optimal course of action and provide support and guidance in a difficult situation.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Transportation, ‘Drunken Driving”, April 29, 2014

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Impaired Driving: Get the Facts”, November 11, 2014

Do you need legal advice from a Milwaukee personal injury attorney? Contact Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. today for a free consultation.

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Milwaukee personal injury attorneys follow case as man faces DUI charge for fatal accident

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Saturday, November 1, 2014.

A 22-year-old Wisconsin Rapids man was charged on Oct. 23 with homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle for his alleged actions in an May 17 collision. According to police, the man pulled his vehicle out in front of an oncoming motorcycle, causing the motorcyclist to strike the side of his car.

The 29-year-old motorcyclist was killed in the collision and pronounced dead at the scene. The defendant allegedly had a BAC level of .044 percent and also tested positive for morphine and marijuana in his system. Although his BAC level was less than the state’s legal limit of .08 percent, the report alleges the combination of the alcohol, morphine and marijuana combined to make his driving impaired.

The defendant reportedly told law enforcement officers that he failed to see the motorcyclist until he had already pulled out and started his left turn. The man faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. He is currently being held in custody in the Wood County Jail and is scheduled to make his first appearance to answer the charges on Nov. 10.

People can face drunk driving charges even when their blood alcohol levels are less than .08 percent if their driving is still impaired. Driving under the influence of drugs is also chargeable. In addition to criminal penalties, people who have negligently caused the death of another person in a drunk driving accident may face civil liability. The loved ones of those killed may be able to recover both compensatory and punitive damages from at-fault drivers. Recoverable damages could include medical and funeral expenses, loss of companionship, pain and suffering, lost income, lost inheritance rights and property losses.

If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident, it may be in your best interests to contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney.

Source: wisconsinrapidstribune.com, “Wisconsin Rapids man charged in fatal crash”, Karen Madden, October 23, 2014

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Man Pleads Guilty in Fatal Milwaukee Drunk Driving Crash

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Thursday, July 17, 2014.

A Milwaukee man whose longtime girlfriend had a restraining order against him since 2012 somehow ended up in a bar with her last December and later left her behind in a car after he crashed it into another vehicle later the same night.

According to a Dec. 16, 2013 article in the “Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel” about a week after the crash, the 33-year-old woman was killed. It was also reported that, according to law enforcement, the man had never been issued a Wisconsin driver’s license.

The judge in the case said that he viewed the accident as yet another example of the domestic violence that had plagued the couple’s relationship. He called the defendant a “menace to society.” Four people in the vehicle he hit suffered serious injuries, and another passenger in his own vehicle suffered a broken leg.

The defendant pleaded guilty to a number of charges, including hit-and-run involving death, hit-and-run involving great bodily injury and homicide by negligent operation of a motor vehicle. He has now been sentenced to consecutive jail terms totaling 18 years for the accident. He was also sentenced for charges involving battery and child abuse of the woman and her 14-year-old daughter. The Milwaukee man pleads guilty to those charges as well, which were related to an incident two months before the fatal accident. He could spend 25 years behind bars.

In response to the Milwaukee judge’s chastisement that he had left the woman “to die in the street” as he ran from the accident scene, the defendant said that he was under the influence of ecstasy, cocaine and alcohol, and didn’t realize she was injured. He claimed that his impairment is also why he didn’t realize that police were chasing him.

When someone is injured or killed in a fatal Milwaukee drunk driving crash, family members may feel that whatever sentence the at-fault driver receives in prison is not sufficient. Further, while criminal penalties are important, they do nothing to help surviving victims and family members with the financial burdens they’re likely to bear. Luckily, drunk drivers can also face civil lawsuits from those seeking to ease those burdens.

Source: Source: Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel, “Milwaukee man sentenced to 25 years for fatal hit-and-run crash,” Bruce Vielmetti, July 7, 2014Sec. Source: http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/more-charges-for-milwaukee-man-accused-in-fatal-hit-run-case-b99164992z1-236083081.html

Do you need legal advice from a Milwaukee personal injury attorney following a drunk driving accident? Contact Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. today for a free consultation.

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Wisconsin Man Sentenced in Fatal Drunk Driving Accident

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney  Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Friday, March 14, 2014.

Driving during the winter months can often be difficult because of ice and slick spots on the roadways. Accidents during these months aren’t uncommon. Sadly, some of these accidents are fatal tragedies. For one Wisconsin man, an ice fishing trip with his buddy ended in his death. That fatal car accident has landed his friend a three year prison sentence.

The two men went ice fishing together on Jan. 7, 2012, when the accident occurred. The vehicle they were in broke through the ice on the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir. One man was pulled to safety by bystanders, but the other man died because bystanders were unable to reach him. The victim’s body was recovered the next day.

The details of the drunk driving accident aren’t all clear. The surviving man says that he was initially driving the vehicle, but that he and the victim switched places moments before the accident. Investigators say that there is a “strong possibility” that the survivor was driving at the time of the accident. They were, however, unable to prove that he was driving.

One thing that isn’t disputed is that the survivor was drunk at the time of the accident. He told officers that he had drank a 12-pack of beer prior to the crash. After he was rescued, his blood-alcohol level was 0.152.

In connection with the accident, the man received a three-year prison sentence and three years of supervision after he is released from prison for a conviction of felony fourth-offense drunken driving. Homicide charges against the man were dropped in January of this year.

The judge in this case remarked that it is a case in which nobody would be satisfied. He said the victim’s family will be devastated from his loss six years from now. The man’s family might have the right to seek compensation for his death. This wouldn’t alleviate the devastation they feel, but it might help to alleviate financial difficulties the family is facing.

Source: WisconsinRapidsTribune.com, “Update: Stratford man gets three years in ice-fishing death” Shereen Siewert, Mar. 07, 2014 (source removed)

If you need legal representation following an accident through no fault of your own, contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney with Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C.

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Driver in Fatal Milwaukee DUI Crash Sentenced

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney  Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Wrongful Death on Friday, November 16, 2012.

One of the burdens that many survivors of fatal car accident victims must carry is the constant question of whether the crash could have been prevented. In the case of accidents caused by drunk driving, the answer is almost always yes. And knowing that a loved one died only due to the negligence of another person can make it difficult for family members to reach closure and move on with their own lives.

One milestone that can help, however, is the successful prosecution of the driver who caused the fatal accident. Recently a Milwaukee man who hit and killed a woman and her son was sentenced for his role in last year’s crash, which could help the victims’ family and friends cope with their unimaginable loss. The 41-year-old driver will spend 17 years in prison, followed by another 10 years of supervised release. Whereas many drunk drivers who kill someone only spend a few years in prison, the loved ones of the victims in this case can rest assured that the driver won’t be putting others at risk anytime soon.

The accident happened as the man was being chased by Milwaukee police. As he fled officers in his pickup truck, he crashed into a 49-year-old woman and her son, who was just 20. The driver then left his truck and tried to escape by jumping into the frigid waters of the Milwaukee River. With a blood alcohol level of .206, it’s not surprising that he didn’t remember the accident by the time he was arrested and questioned by police. Nevertheless, he pleaded guilty this summer to operating while intoxicated homicide charges.

Another step that could bring some closure to the victims’ family is the filing of a wrongful death lawsuit. A successful civil suit could not only compensate the family for the financial losses associated with the deaths, but award damages for pain and suffering. No one expects to have their loved ones taken in a senseless car accident, but effective legal action can help make the loss easier to handle in the long run. If you were hit by a drunk driver, contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney with Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C.

Source: WTAQ, “Drunk driver sentenced to 17 years in prison for fatal Milwaukee crash,” Nov. 2, 2012

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Milwaukee Rollover Attorneys News Update

Wisconsin Man in Critical Condition after Rollover Car Accident

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Car Accidents on Monday, August 23, 2010.

A Wisconsin man who was driving under the influence of alcohol is in critical condition following a rollover car accident over the weekend. According to news reports, 24-year-old Joshua Restivo, of Brodhead, Wis., was critically injured after a crash on West State Highway 213 at West Plymouth Church Road in the Town of Plymouth.

The rollover crash occurred around 10:20 p.m. when Restivo failed to negotiate a curve at Plymouth Church Road while driving westbound and entered the north ditch line on the road. Once in the ditch, the 1998 Chevy Cavalier rolled several times which caused Restivo to be ejected from the vehicle. The car came to a stop several hundred feet west of where the vehicle left the road.

According to the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, Restivo was not wearing his safety belt at the time of the crash. Following the crash, Orfordville Fire/EMS and Beliot EMS responded to the scene. Restivo was flown by a medical helicopter to Rockford Memorial Hospital where he was admitted in critical condition with non-life threatening injuries, according to authorities.

The Rock County Sheriff’s Office believes that excessive speed and alcohol were factors in the car accident and Restivo was cited for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Authorities believe further citations may be issued against Restivo at the conclusion of their investigation of the crash.

As a result of the car accident, the stretch of highway on Wisconsin 213 was closed after the time of the crash until shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday.

Source: WISC Madison “Man Injured In Single-Vehicle Rollover Crash” 08/22/2010

If you need legal representation for a personal injury lawsuit, contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney with Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C.

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