Recently, the Seattle Weekly wrote an article about my good friend and Washington car accident lawyer Chris Davis, whose firm recently announced that it will be handing out $500 to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for every case won. Davis, like our firm, represents victims of drunk drivers -- people who have suffered serious personal injuries or who have lost loved ones in DUI collisions.
For as long as I have known him, Chris Davis has been an avid advocate for victims of DUI crashes. He not only supports harsher penalties and sentences for drunk drivers but, also, offers rewards for tipsters who provide valuable information about drunk drivers or incidents involving drunk drivers.
DUI Statistics
Drunk driving is an epidemic. In Davis' home state of Washington, last year alone, there were more than 40,000 incidents involving drunk drivers. In 2008, there were 225 DUI fatalities in Washington State. It's a nationwide issue. In Orange County alone, in 2008, there were 62 fatalities and 1,492 injuries involving DUI collisions, according to California Highway Patrol's 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). In Los Angeles County, 258 people died and 4,832 were injured as a result of alcohol-related crashes.
Harsher Penalties
Davis proposes tougher sentences for drunk drivers: seven days instead of one in jail and a $1,000 fine for first-time DUI offenders, a year in jail and $5,000 fine for second-timers and no less than two years and a $12,000 coupled with a three-year driver's license suspension for three-timers. Davis also proposes a minimum sentence of at least five years for drunk drivers who end up killing someone. Davis also suggests $50 to $100 rewards for DUI tipsters.
In my opinion, these are all great suggestions and I hope they become a reality not only in Washington, but here in California as well. Drunk driving is a serious crime. It affects not just the injured victim, but an entire family. For example, when a primary wage earner of a family is catastrophically injured or killed in a DUI crash, his or her family suffers permanently from the emotional and financial strain. Shouldn't the offender have to face the minimum consequences of his or her actions?
Helping Save Lives
The Newport Beach personal injury law firm of BISNAR | CHASE also has a budding relationship with MADD. We commend MADD for all the work they have done and continue to do in the area of improving DUI legislation. These are men and women who are passionate about their cause and we support them 100 percent. Ultimately, as personal injury lawyers, our collective goal is about preventing injuries and tragic deaths. It's all about saving lives. As Chris Davis puts it: "If one life is saved, the program has worked." For more information about the dangers of drunk driving, please visit MADD's web site at www.madd.org.
What are some of the suggestions you have to curb the problem of drunk driving?
The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.
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