When a drunk driver is found at the scene of an accident, it is easy to assume that the intoxicated driver is at fault for the crash. However, in a recent crash in Orange, police determined that the drunk driver was not at fault for the collision.
The accident occurred around 9:30 p.m., on Emery Road. According to police, a 52-year-old woman in a Kia SUV was hit head-on when she attempted to go around a vehicle that was in the road. The other driver, a 66-year-old man from Solon, was injured in the crash. According to police, he had difficulties giving police his driver’s license. He allegedly told police that he had been at the casino.
Police said that the woman was at fault for the accident because she drove left of center and into oncoming traffic. Both drivers were taken to South Pointe Hospital and have since been released. The man was charged with suspected DUI. It is not known if the woman was charged for her role in the crash.
While police may have determined that the man was not at fault for the crash, there is another person who could be held partially liable for the accident. The person who left the vehicle in the roadway may be partially at fault for the accident.
If you are injured in an accident that was not your fault, you do have a right to seek compensation for a variety of damages. These include medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and more. An attorney can help you determine who to name as a defendant in a personal injury lawsuit.
Source: cleveland.com, “Driver drunk but not at fault in head-on crash: Orange police blotter,” Thomas Jewell, Dec. 21, 2017