Drivers who get behind the wheel of a vehicle owe a legal duty of care to their passengers such that they are supposed to avoid actions that place those passengers in situations of unreasonable harm.  This duty is generally violated as soon as someone gets behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.  While nothing has yet been proven, this is tragically what is suspected in a possible Brooklyn DUI accident that took the life of a passenger in a vehicle that crashed.

According to the police, this suspected Brooklyn DUI accident occurred at just before 6 a.m. on Saturday morning when a 32-year-old male was driving his estranged wife's Cadillac in a northbound direction on Fourth Avenue.  As he moved between 25th and 26th Streets in Sunset Park, he crashed into a traffic signal.  As a result, the driver's 32-year-old girlfriend who was a passenger in the vehicle was killed.  Another passenger in the back seat was also injured.  The driver was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and driving while intoxicated.

New York Car Accident Statistics

First, we'd like to offer our condolences to the family and friends of the woman who was killed.  We also hope that the passenger who was injured in this suspected Brooklyn DUI accident is able to recover from the harm she has suffered.  In addition, this Brooklyn car accident will now become part of the overall statistics regarding New York car accidents.  Every year, more than 187,000 people are injured and more than 1,200 people are killed in these occurrences.

New York Wrongful Death Lawyers

Clearly, the driver involved in this suspected Brooklyn DUI accident will face serious criminal charges.  He could also face a New York wrongful death lawsuit if the family of the woman who was killed decides to initiate such a filing.  If they do and the case leads to a favorable result for them, the family could recover damages that compensate them for their medical, funeral and burial costs as well as their lost income and their loss of companionship.

If you have lost someone you love to a drunk driver, you need to seek the help of New York DUI accident lawyers who have been holding those responsible for this conduct accountable for 40 years.  Contact Fitzgerald & Fitzgerald today to schedule a free initial consultation.