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Teen Dies in Alcohol Related Car Crash(2)

Linda Snyder — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:35:33 GMT

According to the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph, police say two 18-year old men had been drinking at a party before the vehicle they were riding in rolled early Saturday, killing one and critically injuring the other.

Neither was wearing a seatbelt and both were ejected. The passenger, Evan Kinnan, died in the one-car crash on Woodmen Road, and the driver, Craig Milos, suffered severe head injuries and was listed in critical condition at Penrose main hospital.

"Alcohol is definitely involved - there is no maybe," said police Lt. Patricia Feese.

Investigators are still looking into how the teenagers obtained the alcohol at a party in the Peregrine neighborhood, in northwest Colorado Springs, Feese said.

Kids have been drinking and driving ever since there has been alcohol and vehicles (both motorized and non-motorized). Yet, today the statistics are hitting epidemic numbers. So, why are drunk driving accidents involving under-age drinkers seem so much worse today, than even 10 years ago? Is there more publicity, more public awareness? Do young drivers have easier access to cars today? Easier access to alcohol? Is there less accountability to parents or authority figures?

Consider these statistics:

â€¢ In 2006, an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes--an average of one every 30 minutes. These deaths constitute 41 percent of the 42,642 total traffic fatalities. Of these, an estimated 13,470 involved a driver with an illegal BAC (.08 or greater).
â€¢ Approximately 1.4 million drivers were arrested in 2004 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of 1 for every 139 licensed drivers in the United States (2005 data not yet available).
â€¢ According to MADD, in 2006, these students reported that alcohol is "very easy" or "fairly easy" to get.
â€¢ 92.5 percent of twelfth graders
â€¢ 83 percent of tenth graders
â€¢ 63 percent of eighth graders
â€¢ Male drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes are almost twice as likely as female drivers to be intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or greater (NHTSA 2006). It is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08% or higher in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

â€¢ At all levels of blood alcohol concentration, the risk of being involved in a crash is greater for young people than for older people (Zador et al. 2000). In 2005, 16% of drivers ages 16 to 20 who died in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking alcohol (NHTSA 2006).
â€¢ Young men ages 18 to 20 (under the legal drinking age) reported driving while impaired more frequently than any other age group (Shults et al. 2002, Quinlan et al. 2005).

It seems that underage drinkers have no problems getting alcohol and they certainly don't have any problems getting a vehicle to drive. Is there a cure for this under-age drinking and driving epidemic?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Linda Snyder

The Reason For The Rise In Florida Auto Accident Insurance Fraud

Ed Normand — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:36:16 GMT

Fraud related to Florida auto accidents is a huge problem. The cause of the problem is well known: Florida's Personal Injury Protection Insurance (PIP) laws give an automatic $10,000.00 in medical care to each and every person involved in an auto accident in Florida, even if they are at fault. The idea behind PIP was well intended: if initial medical bills were covered without having to prove fault (No Fault) then litigation would decrease and the overall cost of auto claims to society would decrease. Like the best laid plans of mice and men this "No Fault" system too has gone awry. The reason: shady health care providers get an automatic check for $10,000.00 of auto accident related medical care whether it is needed or not. So medical providers can profit from all car accidents, even ones where the patient (or a car load full of them) are themselves at fault. They can then provide them with medical "treatment" and cash in at a tune of $10,000 per person. So there is a temptation to stage accidents or to give unneeded or excessive care for patients in real accidents until all the insurance is used up. They bill for $10,000 of treatment, whether the care is needed or not.

Here is how it works: lets say there is a collision with 6 people in the car. Even a minor impact collision. All 6 get $10,000.00 in PIP coverage. So if they all go to the same clinic and get the same treatment, pain medications, massages etc... the clinic can bill and collect for $60,000.00 worth of care. The clinics are also tied in with medical testing facilities like MRI centers and other peripheral medical providers. They do the treatment and testing so fast that before the insurance company can even figure out the problem, the testing and care is already at or close to the $10,000.00 insurance limits. Even the most minor accident or accidents where the patient is at fault can result in huge pay days to medical providers.

Believe it or not, personal injury lawyers and claimants are generally not the driving force behind the fraud. The same no fault law that gives $10,000.00 in medical care no matter how minor the accident also limits the claimant's rights and prevents the claimant from recovering unless there is a permanent injury. Of course, in a minor accident with shady care like numerous massages, it is hard to prove a permanent injury to a jury and there is never a recovery in a case where the claimant is at fault. The lawyer is paid on the settlement, the $10,000 in medical care billed under the PIP is excluded from the settlement, so these claims with no real injury are worth little to scrupulous and even unscrupulous lawyers and claimants. An examination of Florida Jury Verdict reports shows that insurers win most of these minor soft tissue cases with little or no proof of real injury. While there are some lawyers that make money on the PIP system from litigation of PIP claims and from working with clinics, the big winners are the clinics and medical testing companies that cash in on the $10,000.00 and the fraudulent patients who are paid to get the medical treatment.

Is it a coincidence that we now see many more ads for medical providers seeking auto accident cases? Not all the advertisers are frauds, many or most provide good care. But the law is such a temptation and it has attracted so many schemers that good health care providers get lumped in with the bad. Further, even honest doctors may tend to over treat because the insurance is there for the taking. If the money is there it will get used, that is just human nature. To make it worse for consumers and honest lawyers (insert lawyer joke here), many good doctors shy away from treating the injured auto accident patients because they are treated like frauds by the insurance industry. Even good doctors get subpoenas and challenges to bills and valid medical care because the fraudsters have tainted the whole pool. In addition, the PIP insurance laws have so many complicated piecemeal "fixes" to battle the fraud that regular physicians cannot deal with the huge paperwork and compliance regulations. Fraudsters can play the game, honest docs get stuck in the middle, and many just refuse auto cases even for good valid existing patients.

The fix is quite simple, follow what most States do: get rid of PIP and the no fault threshold and make Bodily Injury Liability coverage mandatory. In this way at fault drivers are held responsible for the injuries they cause. Medical care is provided under standard health insurance or is charged to the at fault party that caused the accident. The $10,000 automatic windfall is gone. Treatment that is needed is provided without the artificial pool of money attracting unnecessary care. None gets money when they are at fault, the at fault parties pay for what they cause including reimbursement to health insurers or Medicare/Medicaid from the payment by the at fault party. Consumers would also benefit because they would no longer be forced to pay for PIP insurance. That, I am afraid, is why the fix will not work. Insurers want to be able to charge for mandatory PIP premiums, they just do not want to pay the cost of the associated claims. For example, a young male driver may owe thousands in annual premiums for the mandatory PIP that pays only $10,000 in benefits, even if he already has health insurance and does not need the PIP coverage. Consumers pay way too much for PIP and insurers and medical providers do not want to lose that revenue. In the end it will be up to legislators to go above the special interests in the medical industry and insurance industry and do what is right for consumer-dump mandatory PIP insurance!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Toyota Denied Sudden Acceleration Problem For More Than 5 Years

Brett Emison — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:01 GMT

It appears that Toyota has denied its sudden acceleration problem for more than 5 years. Toyota's recall for floor mat problems is not the end of the story and the company needs to do more to protect its customers and the motoring public.

In March 2004, the Center For Auto Safety reported about sudden acceleration problems in 2002-03 Toyota Camrys and Solaras and the 2002-03 Lexus ES 300.

WASHINGTON -- A relatively new technology, the electronic throttle, is a leading suspect in a wave of claims that some vehicles unexpectedly accelerate out of control. Government investigators are looking at 2002-03 Toyota Camrys and Solaras and Lexus ES 300s to determine if they are defective. More than a million cars are in service. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun a preliminary investigation of the latest claims. It is gathering about 37 complaints of sudden acceleration by owners of the Toyota and Lexus cars. The complaints include 30 reports of crashes. They involved injuries to five people; one of them was seriously hurt.

According to AutoSafety.org, by the year 2000, there had been more than 22,600 reported complaints of sudden acceleration.

More than five years ago, Toyota and NHTSA identified the electronic throttle as the most likely source of the sudden acceleration defect. However, Toyota continued -- and continues today -- to dismiss concerns about its throttle control system and has looked only at the floor mat issue.

Four years later -- in June 2008 -- the Detroit Free Press and the Motor Authority reported that Toyota had dismissed additional customer complaints that the popular Toyota Tacoma pickup truck had been experiencing the same sudden acceleration issue as other Toyota and Lexus vehicles.

Now, Toyota's Tacoma pickup is receiving complaints in the U.S. because of the same unintended acceleration defect.

A total of 432 customers have reported unintended or sudden acceleration [problems] in their vehicles, resulting in 51 crashes and 12 injuries. Toyota has responded by stating that its Tacoma is not defective and that many reports were "inspired by publicity," reports the Detroit Free Press.

In 2008 -- like in 2004 -- Toyota refused to take the sudden acceleration issue seriously. Instead of fixing the known problem in its vehicles, Toyota publicly accused its own customers of trying to cash in on Toyota's negative publicity.

By October 2009, Toyota was forced to finally acknowledge sudden acceleration problems in the following vehicles:

2007-2010 Toyota Camry
2005-2010 Toyota Avalon
2004-2009 Toyota Prius
2005-2010 Toyota Tacoma
2007-2010 Toyota Tundra
2007-2010 Lexus ES350
2006-2010 Lexus IS250
2006-2010 Lexus IS 350

In October 2009, Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda, was forced to publicly apologize for the tragic death of an American family who were killed when their Toyota vehicle suddenly accelerated out of control. This tragedy was recorded by 911 as the passengers desperately tried to slow or stop their out of control Toyota vehicle.

As the Detroit Free Press reported:

TOKYO — Toyota’s president said it was “extremely regrettable” an American family died in a crash in which a floor mat in one of the Japanese automaker’s vehicles is suspected as the cause.

"Four precious lives have been lost," Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda said Friday. "I offer my deepest condolences."

***

That crash killed California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, 45 — who was driving a Lexus, a Toyota luxury model — and three family members on State Route 125 outside San Diego.

The vehicle was traveling at more than 120 mph when it launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames.

Despite more than 5 years of documented sudden acceleration problems in Toyota and Lexus vehicles and the tragic death of a family of four caught on tape, Toyota still has refused to accept any responsibility or acknowledge any defect:

Toyoda said the company was still deciding what action it would take and did not acknowledge any vehicle problem during his appearance at the Japan National Press Club.

He apologized for any worries customers may have.

“I feel sorry that people who are driving Toyota and Lexus cars believing in their safety are now feeling uncertainties,” he said.

Toyota has ignored customer reports of the sudden acceleration problem for more than 5 years. Despite this growing safety concern, Toyota announced today, November 6, 2009, a third-quarter profit of nearly $250 million. In the last 90 days -- while its cars were running out of control -- Toyota made a profit of nearly $3 miller per day. Toyota also increased its sales projection to more than 7 million vehicles for this year.

Langdon & Emison is aware of more than 2100 reported instances of Toyota sudden acceleration. Instead of listening to its customers and fixing the extremely dangerous sudden acceleration problem -- a problem Toyota has known about for more than 5 years -- Toyota is raking in money and placing even more dangerous cars and trucks on American roads. Toyota needs to take these complaints seriously and fix the millions of dangerous vehicles on our streets and highways.

[Read more about Toyota Sudden Acceleration]

Fourth Fatal Car Accident in Barrow County, Georgia in less than One Month

Jessica Smagacz — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:11:38 GMT

AccessNorthGA.com reported that a car accident occurring in Barrow County, Georgia killed on woman and injured another.

The victim was traveling south on Barber Creek Road on Monday after 5 p.m. when her car was struck by another car traveling west on Georgia Highway 316.

Names have not been released at this time. Authorities report that the cause of the car accident is still unknown.

There were stop signs, but no traffic lights at the intersection of Georgia Highway 316 and Barber Creek Road.

This car accident “marks the fourth fatal accident in Barrow County in less than a month.”

I will update this page if names are released.

Do you know what do to if you are in a car accident? As our past post discussed, here is what you need to know if you are in a car accident:

Immediately call the police. When the police arrive, they know exactly what to do. The police will also create a police report after interviewing all witnesses and determining who is at fault.

Make sure everyone else is safe.

Gather information. You must get the other driver’s information such as the vehicle’s VIN number, insurance information, and license plate number.

Seek medical attention/help. Car accidents can cause serious injuries, even injuries that do not arise until much later after the car accident. It is important to see a doctor to evaluate your condition.

If you have a camera, take pictures of the cars involved in the accident.

Call/seek an attorney.

According to Ezine articles, there are several things you MUST not do after you are in a car accident:

Admit fault; leave the scene; wait for insurance companies to contact you or take too much time to call an attorney; sign anything without knowing what the papers say or means.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jessica Smagacz

New Federal Rule Bans Hand-Held Cell Phone Use for Commercial Drivers

Craig Kelley — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:20:00 GMT

On November 23, the U.S. Transportation Secretary announced a new federal rule that will prohibit truck and bus drivers from using hand-held cell phones when they are behind the wheel. No matter what type of vehicle you are in, it is dangerous to use a cell phone while driving, but putting one in the hands of a driver of a several ton vehicle is particularly dangerous. So, this new regulation comes as good news for improving our highway safety.

According to the press release from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the new rule “prohibits commercial drivers from using a hand-held mobile telephone while operating a commercial truck or bus.” The penalty for violating this new rule can be as much as $2,750 for each offense. Multiple offenses by one driver could mean their disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle. Importantly, the penalties extend beyond just the driver of the vehicle. Commercial truck and bus companies can also face fines up to $11,000 for allowing their drivers to use hand-held cell phones behind the wheel.

While research has shown that any cell phone use—hand-held or not—amounts to distracted driving and increases the risk of crashes, the new federal rule seems to target the most dangerous use of cell phones: having to take your hands off the wheel to use it.

According to the same press release from the FMCSA, commercial drivers reaching for an object like a hand-held cell phone are three times more likely to be involved in crash. And using that device to dial a number and make a call means that the driver is six times more likely to be involved in a crash.

Addressing the risks of distracted driving is an ongoing battle for safety agencies and advocates. This rule is an important step in the right direction.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Craig Kelley

Med Pay - The Forgotten Insurance Coverage

Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 16:02:59 GMT

Medical payments ("med pay" for short) coverage, an option on automobile insurance, is extremely important to getting a good result in a personal injury case arising out of a car crash.

Many people forget about med pay. Because it is an optional coverage on your automobile insurance, people do not always buy it. Medical payments coverage says that if you or anyone else gets hurt arising out of the use of your vehicle, that the insurance company will pay medical expenses up to a certain dollar figure regardless of fault. Typically, it is sold in increments of $1,000.00 or $5,000.00. So, med pay covers you if you are driving and you run your own car into a tree. It would cover medical bills of up to $1,000.00 limits or whatever you buy, even if you caused the accident yourself. It would also do the same for any passengers in your vehicle. Moreover, if you or a family member are hurt in someone else's car, your medical payments coverage would kick in if they don't have any, or over and above the car owner's, if they do have medical payments coverage.

The reason insurance companies don't try to sell this coverage very hard to consumers is that it is a very good deal for consumers and not such a great deal for the insurance companies. Typically, $1,000.00 worth of med pay coverage will only cost $20.00 per year. I, myself, carry $10,000.00 worth of medical payments coverage on my vehicle. It is such a good deal that nobody who can afford it should go without it. However, when I ask clients about it in the context of their automobile wreck and injury, they often do not know whether they have it or not. Typically, we have to look at their declaration sheet showing the coverages they have or to write to their insurer to find out.

If you are in an accident that is not your fault and our firm is representing you, we will collect any med pay without a fee on the medical payments money. The reason is that it is so easy to collect using the same medical bills and records we use against the at-fault driver. In fact, the ethics rules in Virginia require that in an uncontested medical payments case, that the lawyer not charge a fee. I have seen some attorneys, sadly even experienced ones, doing personal injury and not obeying this ethics rule.

Using your med pay is an advantage to you. It allows me, as your attorney, to get you more money for your personal injury case. The dollars in your pocket end up better if you have med pay. The defendant, at-fault driver, is still responsible for the full amount of your medical bills, as if med pay did not cover any of them, at least in Virginia. The fact that medical payments coverage is used to pay your bills from an accident does not lessen the responsibility of the at-fault driver. All it does is sweeten the amount of money that I am able to put in your pocket as a result of an injury case. The amount of medical payments coverage is often the difference between being able to have an acceptable result and getting the case settled, rather than a less happy result. These days, the insurance companies are being unfair in how much money they are willing to pay in many personal injury cases . If I can get all your bills satisfied through medical payments coverage, then we are in a much better position to make the numbers work for you. This is especially true if you do not have health insurance.

So, my advice to you is to go and check your declaration sheet or call your insurance agent to find out whether you have medical payments coverage on your policy. If you don't, go ahead and get it. I hope you do not need it, but you will be glad to know it's there when an injury occurs. You can add it even in the middle of your policy period and do not have to wait until your next renewal. Of course, medical payments coverage only applies if you had it at the time that the car wreck occurred. Finally, there are other tricky aspects of medical payments, such as the fact that you can stack your medical payments, if you have multiple cars on one policy. For example, in Virginia, if you and your spouse have one State Farm policy with $1,000.00 worth of medical payments coverage, you really have $2,000.00 worth of available coverage. You multiply the number of cars on the policy times the limits of med pay.

Knowing how to deal with med pay is one of the reasons that you want an experienced personal injury attorney who focuses on injury cases exclusively. With me and my firm, you have that experience and dedication to one particular field of law.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton

1 In 5 Texas Drivers Lack Auto Insurance

Beth Janicek — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 09:39:20 GMT

More than 1 in 5 Texas driverslack the auto insurance required by state law. The Texas Department of Insurance recently reported that 21.6% of all drivers statewide were driving without insurance. Bexar County registered a mark of 22.9% of drivers without insurance, trailing only Dallas County (24.1%) for the lead in the most populated counties in the state. South Texas had the highest percentage of uninsured drivers, with Cameron County leading the state with 30.4%. This equates to about 4.2 million drivers statewide who are driving without car insurance.

This report is particularly discouraging in light of the recent efforts by State officials to increase the number of insured drivers. The state started TexasSure in 2008, designed to notify drivers that they lacked insurance and publicize the need for insurance. The program was initially effective, reducing the number of uninsured from 24.3% in 2008 to 21.6% in 2010. But it appears that the numbers of stagnated.

Some in the insurance industry have cited the down economy for the lack of insured drivers. This argument may be specious because of the extended economic downturn in the country since 2008. Another factor could be the continued increase in insurance premiums across the board for Texans. Possibly this biggest factor is that Texas does not fine uninsured drivers until they are pulled over for another traffic violation; other states primitively issue citations to uninsured drivers based on comparisons of registered car and the insurance rolls.

It is against the law to drive without auto insurance in Texas. Violators are subject to a $350 fine for a first offense and up to a $1000 fine and suspension of a drivers license for a second violation.

Texas drivers can protect themselves from the wave of uninsured drivers by caring Uninsured Motorist protection on their own policy. For a small increase in premiums, drivers can be insured if they suffer injury or property loss at the hands of an uninsured motorist.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Car Accidents & Trauma Induced Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Sach Oliver — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 09:40:00 GMT

Car accidents can cause trauma induced carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is pain, tingling, and other problems in your hand because of pressure on the median nerve in your wrist. The median nerve and several tendons run from your forearm to your hand through a small space in your wrist called the carpal tunnel. The median nerve controls movement and feeling in your thumb and first three fingers. Numerous medical journals and articles discuss how car accidents causes carpal tunnel syndrome.

According to Dr. Elliot L. Ames, carpal tunnel syndrome can result from acute injury, as indicated by a retrospective study. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome developed in 96 patients within 2 months after an automobile accident in a study conducted by Dr. Ames. Forty-four (44) of these ninety-six (96) patients underwent carpal tunnel release. It is postulated that the mechanism of injury is blunt trauma from the steering wheel or dashboard. (see Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Motor Vehicle Accidents, Journal of American Osteopathic Association, Dr. Elliot L. Ames, 1996)

Dr. Ames is a clinical assistant professor of surgery, division of orthopedic surgery, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ. The carpal tunnel joint on the wrist are in close proximity as the hand grasps the steering wheel, and as a result, are vulnerable during impact. The injury can occur when the hand is braced on the steering wheel at the time of a front or rear-end collision. Because the base of the thumb can be injured by the steering wheel and the carpal tunnel is in close proximity, it is reasonable to calculate the carpal tunnel takes blunt trauma during impact.

To learn more about this topic read: Acute Median Neuropathy After Wrist Trauma: The Role of Emergent Carpal Tunnel Release by Gregory Mack, M.D., Scott McPherson, M.D., and Bruce Lutz, M.D. This article was published by Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research, 1994. In a nutshell, the article explains that acute carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by a sudden increase in carpal canal pressure that shuts down microcirculation to the median nerve. The most common etiology (cause) is hemorrhage caused by trauma.

Ultimately, do not be shocked to learn that a car accident victim is suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Also, do not be shocked if their symptoms do not show up immediately after the accident. For more free information or to ask questions to see if you need legal representation to fight the other person's insurance company, contact our firm.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Sach Oliver

Parents and teen drinking; Fairfax County Police charge adults at McLean Virginia party

Doug Landau — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 07:15:00 GMT

The host parents of a McLean party were charged with "contributing to the delinquency of minors," by the Fairfax Police. Among the high school students attending the house party were freshman and sophomores who were drinking. Members of the Herndon law firm Abrams Landau, Ltd. attended a parent safety meeting with a Fairfax County Police Department School Resource Officer in McLean to learn how to safeguard teenagers and stay abreast of developments in the law. As stated by the Fairfax County Police Officer, there is zero tolerance for driving, under the age of 21, with a Blood Alcohol Content ("BAC") of more than 0.02 ! That's a beer ! It is dangerous, irresponsible and impaired judgment and reaction time coupled with an inexperienced driver can lead to a fatal car crash.

The officer added, that if you are hosting a party, you are responsible. You can be held responsible by the police for both acts AND omissions. In other words, in response to questions by Herndon teen safety lawyer Doug Landau, the officer advised that doing nothing when a parent becomes aware that drugs and/or alcohol are being used by underage youth, can land them in as much trouble as providing a keg ! Aiding and abetting can get parent in trouble, so the officer advised:

limit the number of kids attending the party;
have more than 2 parents present;
do not hesitate to call for help if the party is getting out of control or "party crashers" are bringing in illicit substances or alcoholic beverages.

The officer reminded us of the Charlotesville mother who was sentenced to 27 months in jail (and who faced as much as an 8 year prison sentence) for serving alcohol at her sons' party to underage guests.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Sumter County, South Carolina Woman speaks out! Her 12 year old son killed by a Drunk Driver

Will Parker — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:24:00 GMT

Recently a Sumter County mother spoke out about her life since her 12-year-old son was killed in car crash when the pickup her and his father were traveling on Highway 378 was hit head on by an Ohio woman.

"Wonderful child, Great sense of humor, made people laugh all the time," says Tina Berry.

Christian's mom says she's still struggling with her emotions, but trying to channel her loss into constructive change.

"I just pray that people will think before getting into a car and drive drunk," says Tina Berry.

"I'm angry. Very angry. My mind races. I... I can't function," she said.

At the time of trial, The Highway Patrol charged the woman, 46-year-old Dianne Brown, with felony DUI. Shortly after, a judge released Brown on $50,000 bond, another blow for the boy's mother.

"It's hard for me to believe that she was bonded out and the bond being so low. That was hard for the family to accept," says Berry.

After hearing of the penalty placed on the driver of the vehicle, the Berry’s as well as other members of Christian's family say they feel let down by the court system and they want to work with MADD and state lawmakers to get tougher on drunk driving.

Instances such as this one, when a young 12 year olds life is taken is really heart- wrenching. An individual who could have potentially been a great asset to our global well-being instantly had his life taken by a drunk driver. Some individuals nowadays seem to disregard the seriousness of operating a vehicle while under the influence and fail to realize the damages they could potentially cause. All we can do is hope that penalties are increased and the severity of fines imposed upon the individuals who chose to get behind the wheel after drinking are increased as well.

Allegedly, a reform package is set to go into effect next year creates stiffer penalties for both first time and repeat offenders, establishes a new system of penalties based on intoxication levels and is supposed to get rid of loopholes that help defendants.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Will Parker