According to recent news reports from Loma Colorado 52-year-old Terry Retherford of Grand Junction suffered multiple fractures after being ejected from a pickup in a rollover accident that occurred on Saturday Jan. 15. The injury accident happened at the intersection of Slickrock Dr. and M 8/10 Rd. when 63-year-old Dallas Abbot lost control of his pickup truck and veered off the road and down an embankment. Retherford was a passenger and was ejected. Abbot of Loma was wearing a seat belt but also suffered injury. Both men were taken to a local hospital. Abbot faces charges of DUI vehicular assault reckless driving aggravated driving after revocation and safety belt systems required. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
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Alleged drunk driving wrecks can cause serious to severe injury or even loss of life. While most people understand that such a devastating outcome can occur there are sadly too many people who believe that theyre OK to drive after having alcohol. This is one of the reasons why dram shop laws exist in a majority of states in the United States. These laws work to varying degrees state-by-state to hold negligent alcohol-serving establishments accountable for their behavior. The reasoning goes that if an alleged drunk driver can possibly be prevented from becoming intoxicated while at a bar or restaurant and prevented from driving away from that establishment then the possibility of a drunk driving accident occurring severely decreases. Consequently states that have dram shop laws have civil consequences for such negligent alcohol-serving establishments should a suspected drunk driver have been allowed to become intoxicated at their establishment prior to causing a wreck. It should also be noted that regardless of the involvement of an alcohol-serving entity a suspected drunk driver can still be held civilly liable for their actions causing injury in addition to any criminal charges they may also be facing.
– Texas Personal Injury Lawyer Michael Grossman
