Speed, Intoxication, and Distractions To Blame In Missouri Wrongful Death Case

January 24, 2012
A combination of distracted and intoxicated driving is to blame for the death of a 38-year-old mother and wife who was hit and killed in September of 2010. According to stltoday.com, the accident happened at around 5:00 PM on Gravois Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri.

Toxicology reports from samples taken after the accident show that the 28-year-old driver of the 2004 Mazda Tribute responsible for the accident had Freon, oxycodone, and marijuana in his system when he plowed through a gas station and hit the woman. Witnesses said the man was also on his cell phone at the time of the accident.

Police executed a search warrant in November 2010 to obtain the man’s phone records to determine if he was using the phone at the time of the crash. While no comment was made on the subject by police, they did charge the man this past Saturday with first-degree involuntary manslaughter.

The woman’s husband also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver this past April, seeking damages of more than $25,000 for the family’s loss, claiming the driver’s speed, intoxication, and carelessness in using a phone while driving is responsible for the woman’s death. The driver responsible for the accident settled out of court with two individuals in 2000 after a similar accident.

The Missouri wrongful death attorneys with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers may be able to help you if you have lost a loved one in an accident caused by another person’s negligence.