It has been some time since a fatal accident claimed the life of a local firefighter in Connecticut and severely injured his two sons. While the allegedly drunk driver accused of the crime is ready to head to court for his supposed involvement, the victim’s family is also pursuing civil actions against a local gas station for failing to report the driver. In any accident, the blame falls primarily on the driver believed responsible; however, this suit also looks at the blame that could fall on establishments for their lack of action.
The driver deemed responsible for this tragic accident was supposedly living in his car, parked at a local gas station for a few weeks before the incident occurred. The lawsuit filed by the victim’s family asserts that he was visibly using alcohol and other substances, and that action by the gas station attendant and/or owners could have prevented the crash. The suit also claims the station owners are obliged to manage their business in a safe manner, which the family believes they failed to do.
The three victims of this crash, a 33-year-old male and two young boys, were traveling on the interstate in Montville when their car was struck by a small SUV, pushing their vehicle into oncoming traffic. The adult died in the crash and both boys are still recovering from the injuries they suffered. Local authorities reported that the driver believed to be responsible for this crash was intoxicated at the time.
While this case is still being determined, it certainly asks an important question of who is to blame for such an accident. Is it the alleged drunk driver alone, or also the business that failed to report the driver’s previous behavior to police? If either the driver and/or the business is found liable for the accident before a Connecticut civil court, financial compensation may be awarded for both wrongful death and personal injury claims to help this family recoup the monetary losses they have suffered.
Source: NBC Connecticut, Victims Say Service Plaza to Blame for Deadly Crash, Jamie Ratliff, March 24, 2014
