Families of Two Homeless Men Share $2.2 Million Recovery Settlement

A few months ago, this blog documented the tragic accident that resulted in the death of two homeless men when a 22-year old woman lost control of her mother’s Porsche. Both men were well known among the homeless community and at the shelter that they frequented. They were caught off guard as the Porsche came crashing through the bushes shortly after 2 a.m. this past summer.

Upon conducting an investigation, police discovered that the driver of the Porsche was intoxicated with a blood alcohol content of over twice the legal limit. She currently is facing DWI and DWI-manslaughter charges in criminal court.
Last week, the families of the two men accepted a settlement offer of $2.2 million. The families of the men will share the recovery, although the details of the division will remain confidential.

The families of the men say that the large award will not dramatically change the way they live their life. They say that they would like to use the money to educate people about the dangers of drinking and driving. While both families are devastated by their loss, they consider the driver the “third victim” in the case because “She made a mistake that people make every day in this country, in this city, and it’s going to radically change her life forever.”

Drinking and Driving is Punished in Civil and Criminal Court

As noted above, the driver is still facing pending criminal charges that may result in a restriction on her freedom for a significant amount of time. However, the fact that the driver was legally intoxicated at the time of the accident not only exposes her to criminal liability, but also to civil liability, as evidenced by the large settlement obtained in this case.

The fact that the driver was intoxicated when she killed the two men goes to her level of negligence when she was operating the car. Sometimes, accidents happen and nobody is at fault. However, in cases where alcohol is involved—especially when the driver is above the legal limit—it is much easier to show who was at fault. In these cases, the driver has a much more difficult time trying to show that nobody was at fault and often loses in front of a jury, who generally have little sympathy for drunk drivers.

Have You Been Injured in a car accident?

If you or a loved one has recently been injured in an auto accident when one of the drivers involved was intoxicated, you may have a legal cause of action against them that may result in monetary compensation. To find out what rights you have, and whether there are any applicable deadlines, you should contact an experienced  accident attorney.

We offer free legal assistance with no obligation. All consultations are completely confidential and you pay absolutely nothing out-of-pocket. There are never any attorney's fees unless we win!

Here at Ask My Attorneys, we have experienced aggressively fighting for our clients that have been involved in all kinds of traffic accidents, including:

• Motorcycle accidents
• Rear-end collisions
• Hit & Run Accidents
• Truck crashes
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Lyft Accident
• Uber Accident
• Leased Vehicle Accident
• Rental Car Accident
• Taxi Cab Accident
• Intersection accidents
• Failure to yield accidents
• Drunk-driving accidents
• School Bus Accident
• Public Bus Accident
• Private Bus Accident
• Personal Injury

You NEVER PAY unless YOU GET PAID. We understand you have your choice of no-win, no-fee personal injury lawyers.

Understand your legal rights when you are involved in a car accident. Schedule an appointment or contact us at 954-961-5100 for more information or to discuss your free consultation. We speak English and Spanish.