The Civil Side of Criminal Liability: Drunk Driver Causes Wrongful Death

Mark McLean

Contributor

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A drunk driver was charged with vehicular homicide this week after he struck and killed a roadside construction worker with a blood-alcohol level of over twice the legal limit. The driver disregarded orange construction cones and struck two Department of Transportation workers, killing one and injuring the other.

Under Washington law, violation of a criminal statute is strong evidence of negligence in the civil context. Drivers who break the law and cause personal injuries (in this case even worse, a wrongful death) are subject to civil as well as criminal penalties.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.