This blog recently wrote about the tragic incident in nearby Galveston of a drunk driver striking a horse-drawn carriage. One person in the carriage was killed, and several others were injured. The family, which was in Galveston celebrating a birthday, is now fighting back by filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver and the bar that served him alcohol that night.
According to the family’s attorney, the man’s wife, who was injured in the July 21 accident, was just released from the hospital after some rehabilitation. “She still hasn’t buried her husband,” he said.
– Article By Richard Weaver
The amount of damages the family is seeking is not specified in the lawsuit. The driver in question is already facing a charge of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. In addition to the deceased and his injured wife, the carriage driver, a teenage female carriage driver and the drunk driver’s passenger were all injured in the accident.
The lawsuit also includes the nightclub the driver and his passenger were at, because it knew that the driver “was intoxicated to the extent that he presented a clear danger to himself and others,” it states. The lawsuit cites witnesses who allegedly saw the driver having trouble standing up before he got into his car.
In addition to being drunk, the driver was also allegedly speeding at the time of the accident. While it may be frustrating to share the road with non motor vehicles that are going slower, drivers have to keep an eye out for them. Now even if the man escapes conviction, he could end up being held liable in the crash.
Source: Houston Chronicle, “Driver, bar sued after fatal carriage wreck,” Robert Stanton, Aug. 21, 2012
