Local reports indicate 19-year-old Christopher Peter Banasiak was allegedly driving drunk Saturday morning August 6 when he lost control of his vehicle crashing it into a utility pole. Police state the man was driving around 1:30 a.m. when he ignored a stop sign at the corner of Birch Street and Litchfield Road in Farmington Connecticut. He then took a turn too quickly and lost control of the vehicle. Banasiaks 20-year-old passenger suffered a broken right arm and potentially a broken hip. He was taken to St. Francis hospital. Banasiak has been charged with second-degree assault with a motor vehicle reckless driving operating under the influence under the age of 21 and operating under the influence. This is the mans third arrest this year.
Site of the Accident
Commentary
While an independent investigation is needed many of you probably already know that there may exist a personal injury claim against the driver. Not only was he driving recklessly by running stop signs but he may have been driving under the influence. Either may place liability upon the driver. Rather than harp on the personal injury claim Id like to discuss the flip side of this accident. There are no reports regarding if the passenger had been drinking but regardless both these young men are minors. The state of Connecticut has what are called Social Host laws for minors. These laws could place partial liability upon a property owner if the underage driver was found to be imbibing there. This is speculation but my point is to show how detailed even a single-vehicle accident like this can be.
Texas Personal Injury Attorney Michael Grossman
