A four-motorcycle accident on Saturday, August 4, in Glades County resulted in two deaths, one at the scene of the accident and another later at a hospital.
According to reports, a group of six motorcycles was riding together shortly before 3 p.m. on that Saturday on County Road 721 when four of the motorcyclists lost control of their vehicles while making a turn, crashing into a ditch. Florida Highway Patrol officials say that one of those four drivers face DUI manslaughter charges as a result of the accident. He was carrying a passenger, a 43-year-old woman, who died in the accident. One of the other crashed motorcyclists, a 65-year-old man, was taken to Tampa General Hospital for treatment where he was listed as being in critical condition before ultimately passing away the next day.
The allegedly drunk driver was the only one who was carrying a passenger at the time of the crash. He was treated for minor injuries at a nearby hospital after the accident. No one involved in the accident was wearing a helmet.
Troopers said alcohol was determined to not be a factor in the accident for any of the other drivers.
Filing a wrongful death claim against a drunk driver
A person who causes a fatal accident while drunk already faces severe criminal penalties, including jail time and significant fines. The family of the victim can also file a wrongful death lawsuit in civil court against the allegedly liable party as a means of recovering some compensation for their loss. To be successful in the suit, the plaintiff must be able to prove it was “more likely than not” that the defendant was liable in the accident. In cases involving drunk drivers, there is typically clear, concrete evidence of this liability.