I wish the family of young Joseph Barela the very best as they are cope with this tragic loss. It appears the passenger was treated and released; I wish him well as he recovers in the coming weeks.

Liability appears to lie with the driver, Joseph Barela. The initial reports indicate that Barela may was driving under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol inhibits our senses making driving extremely difficult. Drunk driving leads to serious lapses in judgment, lapses that are magnified on the road. The slightest obstacle can present a serious problem to a drunk driver. Alcohol causes slower reaction time, decreased perception ability, and a tendency to be overconfident with your driving. All of these outcomes put the driver, passenger, and everyone else on the road in serious danger.

In this case, the passenger has a claim against the car’s insurance. This claim will help him cover medical bills associated with the crash, recover lost wages and compensate for pain and suffering. I recommend that the passenger of the vehicle contact an experienced Ogden, Utah personal injury attorney who will help him explore all legal avenues available.

Hanson’s attorney said that Hanson has felt terrible remorse for his actions and since the Utah auto accident Hanson has taken steps to get help with his alcohol problem, reports thespectrum.com. Hanson wishes to continue his alcohol treatment.

In court, Hanson read a letter he wrote to the Lloyd family, who were present in the courtroom during the trail. He said he’s constantly tormented by what he has done. “Your lives and dreams have truly been shattered,” Hanson said. “I wish you could understand that I’m not a monster, but a loving caring person.” He continued, “But my pain must pale in comparison to what you are going through.”

After the verdict was given Judge Rand Beacham said, “Mr. Hanson has made serious strides (to improve) but the problem is he waited too long and he’s affected too many innocent lives.”

Utah Drunk Driving Statistics

Utah DUI law prohibits any person from operating a vehicle if he or she’s blood alcohol concentration is .08 or greater or the person is under the influence of alcohol or drugs that makes the person incapable of operating the car safely. Drunk driving sentences range from class B misdemeanors for first offenders to a third degree felony when the person has had a prior DUI conviction or the accident causes a fatality.

In 2008, data given by alcoholalert.com shows 275 total fatalities were alcohol related. In the United States, an estimated 11,773 people died in drunk driving crashes. That number constitutes 31.6% of the total number of traffic fatalities in the United States in 2008.

Ron Kramer is a Utah personal injury attorney with offices in Provo, Draper and Bountiful Utah.

Police have since arrested the 54-year-old driver of the Explorer, John Hanson of St. George, Utah. He was booked on suspicion of automobile homicide, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with an open container and making an improper left turn.

This is a tragic Utah motorcycle crash. There is absolutely no excuse for drunk driving. My thoughts and prayers are with Leland Lloyd’s family as they cope with their loss.

For years I have held drunk drivers responsible for their irresponsible actions. If they make the choice to drive on our roads they should be prepared for the consequences. I advise the Lloyd family to contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can file a wrongful death claim against John Hanson’s insurance as well as make sure Hanson is held responsible for his actions.

Utah already boasts of some of the harshest drunk driving penalties in the nation, and this bill further adds to the strict laws. I think we all hope that harsher penalties, coupled with individual responsibility will one day eradicate drunk driving, a problem that has affected the lives of so many.

Ron Kramer is a personal injury attorney with offices in Ogden, Draper, and Provo, Utah.

The woman received a head injury and many broken bones. Police arrested the driver of the vehicle on suspicion of DUI after he failed a field sobriety test. Fortunately, the woman is improving. Her condition was upgraded from critical to serious.

Driving under the influence of alcohol is a crime in Utah. It is an enhanced crime when someone is injured because of their driving. Luckily in this case, only property was damaged from her actions. The public can help police the roads by calling 911 when they witness a motorist driving erratically.

Published by: Ron Kramer

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

According to witnesses, a Chevy Corsica coming in the opposite direction, driven by Michael Haydon, attempted to steer out of the way of the approaching truck. Because of slippery conditions, Haydon locked his brakes and the two vehicles collided head on. Troopers investigating the crash say that the interior of the truck cab smelled strongly of alcohol. The name of the truck driver has not been released. By reports, he received serious injuries from this Tooele-Grantsville car crash.

UHP Cpl. Andrew Prescott reported: “From what we are being told from witnesses, the pickup truck had been drifting across the center line and, as it approached the other vehicles traveling towards Grantsville, it had drifted across.” Another UHP officer, Sgt. Jeff Nigbur, said: “The Ford was all over the road. It looks like he might have come over into that lane. A Chevy Corsica took evasive maneuvers and hit head-on.”

Although officials say that icy roads in the area and freezing rain contributed to about six other crashes along the I-80 today, that weather wasn’t a factor in the crash since the road was “just wet at the time of the accident.” Officials report that Michael Haydon died at the scene while Alan Carlson died after he got to the hospital.

The reason why drunk driving is such a serious offense is because it inflicts serious injuries and death among innocent people who happen to come into a drunk driver’s path. Although officials have not confirmed if the firefighter was in fact drinking while driving, we do know that he had an open container in his truck. We also know by accounts that he was “all over the road” just before the crash happened. But whether he was drunk or not, his actions still caused the deaths of two innocent men.

The families of these men, including spouses, children and/or parents, have a claim for “wrongful death” against the Tooele fireman and/or his insurance company. Since the crash happened around 11:00 a.m., the man may have been “on-the-clock,” such that a claim may also be made against his employer. Mr. Haydon’s auto policy most likely has additional coverage in the form of “under-insured” coverage that could be available in this case. Of course, this is little consolation to the families that lost these two men. Yet there needs to be accountability for the lives that this man took.

Published by: Ron Kramer

Utah law requires that when one car has stopped at a marked or unmarked crosswalk, an approaching car is required to also stop. That apparently didn’t happen in this case. The drunk that hit these women is clearly responsible for the resulting injuries. Let’s hope that the women had their own auto insurance to supplement that which the driver hopefully had.

The article does mention that the women were drunk. I don’t think this matters. They were not driving in a car, which is good, and they appeared to be crossing at a crosswalk, where they had a legal right to be. The fault is not with the women, who may have been intoxicated, but with the other driver (who happened to be drunk), who didn’t stop for these women in the crosswalk.

Published by: Ron Kramer

After the crash, a Davis County Sheriff’s deputy was called out to do an investigation. (It is protocol for another law enforcement agency to investigate claims that involved one of their officer’s or their vehicle.) During the investigation, the driver of the Durango left the scene. At first, the deputy attempted to pursue the driver but gave up due to bad road conditions. No matter, the drunk was found a short time later after he struck another vehicle on Antelope Drive, injuring four persons inside that car. The drunk then left his car and made a run for it. Officers eventually caught up with him. He resisted arrest, going so far as to try and fight with an officer. He was booked into the Davis County Jail on a slew of charges.

Although the media and other special interest groups are vigilant in getting out the word that we should not drink and drive, people continue to do it anyway. When they do drive drunk and they hurt someone, however, they will be held accountable for the injuries that they cause. In this case, the four that are injured — perhaps even the Layton Police officer – have a claim against this drunk driver for injuries they experienced because of his actions. I would recommend they contact a personal injury lawyer with experience in taking drunk driving cases.

Ron Kramer is a personal injury lawyer that regularly represents injured persons lving in the Ogden, Layton area. He is a recipient of a 7-figure jury verdict handed down by an Ogden jury in a car accident case last year.

Published by: Ron Kramer

As I mentioned, there has recently been a rash of car accidents in Salt Lake County where one motorist fails to yield when making a left-hand turn. Most notably was the crash a few days ago near Tooele, Utah, where UPS driver Alan Christofferson was killed when a dump truck loaded with mud turned left into his path.

Drunk driving may have also been to blame in this crash, according to police. Alcohol can impair a driver’s judgment when they are out on the road, leading to poor driving decisions. If the driver purchased their alcohol from a bar or tavern, then that establishment could also bear some of the blame for the crash.

The law in Utah, as well as in other states is clear: motorists turning left MUST yield the right away to other motorists so close as to constitute a hazard. Even if someone is out in the intersection waiting for traffic to clear and their light has turned red, they must wait until oncoming traffic has cleared before they make their turn. Those persons who are injured when the other motorist fails to yield, have a claim against the at-fault motorist.

Ron Kramer is a Utah personal injury attorney who spends a good portion of his time litigating car accident cases.

Published by: Ron Kramer