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Car Accidents

1/22/2009
Sandra Rohrstaff, Partner
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Traffic Fatalities Down. So what?

A recent article at insidenova.com reported that Virginia had 800 traffic fatalities in 2008 -- down from 1,026 in 2007. I guess that's suppposed to be good news, but I've never cared much for statistics, because you can make the numbers mean anything you want them to mean by the way you report them.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't applaud safer cars and more diligent law enforcement or the high cost of gasoline or the bad economy or whatever the reasons were that traffic fatalities declined. However, if I'm the mother of a teenager who died, then those statistics are meaningless.

The fact remains that Northern Virginia highways are crowded with people going too fast, with drivers using their cell phones to call or, worse, to send and receive text messages, and that many of drivers and passengers who died were not wearing seatbelts. Alcohol and speed continue to be responsible for traffic fatalities. Of the four traffic deaths that occurred over the Christmas/New Year holiday, two of them were in Fairfax County. No one who died was wearing a seatbelt, and alcohol was a factor in one of them. That's too many.

Labels: Accident Alcohol death Drunk Fairfax fatalities

Drunk Driving Accidents

11/15/2009
Sandra Rohrstaff, Partner
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Prince William County man driving home after drinking at Jimmy Buffet concert charged with involuntary manslaughter in 2 deaths

William John Mallory charged with involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of Rebecca Sacra and her two-year-old grandson Jonathan Wade-Ortiz. Alcohol was a factor in the crash that killed the two passengers. Drunk driving accident lawyers Weiner, Rohrstaff & Spivey can answer questions of people who have been injured by drunk drivers. 703-273-9500

Labels: Accident Alcohol drunk driver Fatal Prince William Sacra Wade-Ortiz

9/20/2009
Sandra Rohrstaff, Partner
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DUI Leesburg - passenger killed

It makes me sad every time I read about someone who was killed by a drunk driver. On September 10, Justin Robert Shuback was driving drunk when he rammed into the rear of a dump truck. His passenger, Adam Katz -- who was probably his friend -- was killed. Shuback ran away from the scene of the crash. He was charged with felony hit and run and DUI.

I also get mad when I read such stories. I know, I know. A criminal accusation doesn't mean a conviction. I revere the Constitution. Really, I do. But besides the criminal justice system, there is an important civil justice system. Under Virginia's wrongful death laws, Katz's family can sue Shuback for money damages for the losses they have suffered at the hands of the drunk driver Shuback. Those are important rights to hold the wrongdoer responsible for the death of a loved one.

If it turns out that Shuback was indeed drunk, he may be subject to punitive damages, not just negligence.

Anyone who has lost a family member in Virginia because of the carelessness of another should contact a lawyer experienced with wrongful death claims. The lawyers at Weiner, Rohrstaff & Spivey help families whose loved one has been killed by the negligence of another. Give us a call at 703-273-9500, contact us through our website, www.WRSattorneys.com, or email srohrstaff@wrsattorneys.com. We answer your questions for free.

Labels: Alcohol drunk driver DUI punitive damages Virginia wrongful death

3/17/2009
Sandra Rohrstaff, Partner
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St. Patrick's Day DUI

Lots of celebrating for St. Patrick's Day was done over the past weekend. However, you can be sure there are still plenty of celebrants who will be out on the roads today and tonight. Make sure you and your family are among those who are celebrating responsibly.

A Virginia DMV report on the numbers of people who are injured or killed by drunk drivers and who are convicted of DUI charges over this holiday shows that the numbers continue to be noteable.

If you are among those affected by a drunk driver, you need to speak to an attorney experienced in these matters. Give us a call, 703-273-9500, or contact us through the website, http://www.WRSattorneys.com, for information that will help you.

Labels: Accident Alcohol death Drunk Fairfax lawyer Virginia

1/5/2009
Sandra Rohrstaff, Partner
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Drunk Driving - Is It Murder?

Last night's CBS episode of "60 Minutes" had as its lead story, "Drunk Driving: Is It Murder?" Now, don't get me wrong. I believe our judicial system protects us all only when everyone accused of a crime, including those who drink too much alcohol and are charged with drunk driving, has access to a strong defense against charges brought by the government.   Without that, our system is out of balance, for we are all at risk for being wrongful accused.

My law firm represents many people who have been seriously injured in accidents caused by drunk drivers.  Drunk drivers are dangerous, and people who have been irresponsible by deciding to get behind the wheel and drive drunk ought to be subject to all the remedies our system allows: (1) criminal punishment and (2) orders to pay compensation to their victims for the devastation their irresponsibility caused. The first is a criminal sanction, the second a civil one.

Prosecutors quoted on the "60 Minutes" episode advocate the position that stiff criminal penalties will be deterrents to driving drunk. Although I am not sure if that is true, I believe that we as society cannot ignore the outrageous, irresponsible decisions that people make when they get behind the wheel and drive drunk, and they should be subject to both criminal and civil sanctions.

We have represented many people who have seriously injured by drunk drivers and the families whose loved ones were fatally injured by drunk drivers.  Contact me at srohrstaff@wrsattorneys.com or via our website at www.WRSattorneys.com if you or someone you know has been injured by a drunk driver or is you just need answers to your questions.

Labels: Accident Alcohol Drunk DWI Fatal

11/17/2008
Sandra Rohrstaff, Partner
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Jury awards $5M to woman who lost her arm in drunk driving accident

A headline like this gets attention. The accident occurred in 2003 in Massachusetts. If you read the article, you will see that the woman who lost her arm sued the drunk driver and the restaurant that served him 11 beers in a little over two hours. That's called "dram shop liability." Such a lawsuit would not exist in Virginia, because Virginia does not hold restaurants and bars that serve alcohol to intoxicated individuals responsible if the patrons leave their establishments after getting drunk and injure someone. In this case, the drunk driver was an employee of the restaurant who started drinking at 10:30 p.m. after this shift was over and was served alcohol and drank heavily for two hours. The woman passenger who lost her arm was not with him at the restaurant and met him at a party later. After having three more beers and a rum and coke, the drunk driver and his passenger were on their way back to the party after going to a convenience store when they ran off the road and crashed into a parked school bus.

Reaction to the verdict has been animated. Some people say she was an idiot to get in the car driven by a drunk driver, that it was her fault, not the restaurant's; that the restaurant didn't force alcohol on the driver and should not have been held responsible. Some people also called the judge and jury idiots for allowing the verdict in the first place.

What do you think?