A man has been sentenced to 5 years in prison after being charged with DUI with serious bodily injury in connection with a South Florida drunk driving accident, the Marco Island Eagle reported.
A 55-year-old woman was paralyzed as a result of the construction zone accident on I-75 in Naples, near the entrance to Alligator Alley. The crash occurred on Jan. 27, 2008; the defendant was driving a Snap-on Inc. van when he rear-ended the victim's Toyota Camry. The company paid a $24 million settlement to the victim's family. She was hospitalized for two months and spent several weeks in a coma. She is paraplegic and suffers from brain injuries.
Hiring defense lawyer experienced in representing clients facing criminal charges for a DUI accident in South Florida is critical to protecting your rights. As this case illustrates, jail time, job loss and civil lawsuits frequently result from serious or fatal drunk driving accidents.
The defendant's blood-alcohol level was .145, over the limit of .08 in Florida. He pleaded no contest in March to DUI with serious bodily injury; six charges of DUI with damage to person or property were dropped.
The settlement paid by Snap-On was confidential but revealed by the defendant's Miami DUI defense lawyer, who was requesting a reduced sentence from the judge. He told the judge the defendant had been both fired from his job and sued for damages by the victim's family. The attorney told the court that the defendant had been traveling and working long hours at his job and had been sober and attending AA meetings and church since the accident.
South Florida DUI Accident Attorney Carlos Canet is an aggressive and experienced drunk driving defense attorney, representing clients facing DUI and other serious traffic cases, including DUI manslaughter and drunk driving charges involving motor vehicle accidents. Call 866-7ASKDUI to discuss your rights.
