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Attorney Analysis: In the second part of this story, attorney Marc Lenahan will discuss drunk driving lawsuit settlements and the legal rights of families affected by fatal drunk driving crashes.
A tragic suspected drunk driving crash left a 2-year-old girl dead, her 3-year-old brother hospitalized, and their parents also seriously injured in Dallas last Saturday night.
According to the police, a Garland police officer tried to pull over the suspected drunk driver of a black Nissan shortly after 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night. The driver, later identified as 19-year-old Adrian Maldonado, evaded the officer.
Maldonado reportedly sped through a red light while driving southbound on Broadway Boulevard at the intersection with Oates Road. He then allegedly ran another red light at Duck Creek.
A DPS helicopter eventually joined the chase and Maldonado reportedly reached speeds of 100 miles per hour on I-635. He also turned off the headlights of the vehicle.
The vehicle then left I-635, running another red light while turning westbound onto Northwest Highway. While approaching the intersection with Shiloh Road, Maldonado ran yet another red light and crashed into a white Ford Mustang going through the intersection.
A family of four was in the Mustang - two adults and two children. A 2-year-old girl was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead. The two adults and 3-year-old boy were all hospitalized in critical condition.
Maldonado and his passenger, 19-year-old Denise Vivas, fled the scene on foot but were eventually tracked down by the DPS helicopter and arrested.
Vivas was charged with evading arrest. Maldonado faces one count of intoxication manslaughter, three counts of intoxication assault, and evading arrest with a vehicle causing death of another.
Attorney contributor Marc Lenahan represents people who have been injured by drunk drivers and the families of those killed in fatal DUI crashes. Marc has offered to share some information on the legal rights of these victims and families:
Drunk driving crashes cause devastating consequences for those involved. Innocent victims may be left with massive medical bills, lost wages, or even lose their lives due to another person's reckless decision to drive drunk. Those injured by drunk drivers and the families of fatal DUI crash victims deserve answers and support for the difficulties they face.
Depending on the circumstances of the crash, victims and families may be able to recover financial compensation through one or more types of lawsuits. A drunk driver can be sued in a wrongful death or personal injury lawsuit.
Additionally, some states allow third parties like alcohol vendors or social hosts to be held liable for injuries or deaths caused by someone to whom they provided alcohol. These are called dram shop lawsuits.
In Texas, a dram shop lawsuit can be filed against an alcohol vendor or social host for providing alcohol to a minor or to someone who was obviously intoxicated and posing a clear danger to their own safety and that of others.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed by a drunk driver, you can learn more about your legal options in a free consultation with one of our experienced drunk driving crash victim lawyers.
https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/05/24/2-year-old-killed-suspected-drunk-driver-police-chase-garland/
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