Between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, late December is a time for celebration in many Connecticut households. People get together with family, or perhaps head out with friends to bars or clubs to let off some steam after a long year, and welcome the reset that people assume a change in the calendar numbers will provide. As with most of the United States, alcoholic beverages often play a significant role in these celebrations. At times like this, even otherwise responsible people may slip and decide to operate a motor vehicle after having had a few too many drinks.
It has been a focus of society for some time now to curb the instances of intoxicated driving and the many injuries, deaths, and the property damage that it often creates. While one way this is done is by enacting criminal laws, another way is to create mechanisms for those who have been harmed by a drunk driver to recoup some of the losses that they have suffered. The main way this is done is through a civil lawsuit against the responsible parties.
As we have seen, most car accident civil cases turn on the question of negligence. A person who operates a vehicle with a Blood Alcohol Content over the legal limit will almost certainly be considered negligent if he or she causes an accident, and these are going to be the primary parties who will be liable in a civil suit for injury or wrongful death. In Connecticut, however, it may also be possible that other parties could share liability as well. For example, businesses that sell alcohol to an already intoxicated person may be liable under the law for up to $250,000, under certain circumstances.
While no amount of money will ever truly compensate a person for major injuries, or a family who has lost a loved one to a drunk driver, such awards may help defray medical and other costs, as well as give some closure to people who want to see the parties at fault help responsible for their actions. Who may be liable and what needs to be proven to receive a positive outcome in a car accident case can be fairly complicated, however, so Connecticut families in this situation may wish to consider speaking with an experienced liability attorney.
