In Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday morning, a suspected drunken driver crashed into a police car after hitting several other cars. The police were called by a woman who said she was the victim of a hit and run. When they pulled the suspect over, he backed up and hit the police cruiser. Fortunately the officer was not hurt.
While this sounds like news of the weird, from the personal injury lawyer‘s point of view, two interesting points are raised. First, if you are involved in a car accident, or any accident for that matter, get thoroughly checked out by a doctor before declaring you are not injured. Ofttimes, it takes a day or two before you become aware you are hurt. It certainly doesn’t help your case to have a premature statement that you suffered no injuries.
Second, in the case of a drunk driver, the alcohol is almost certain to be an aggravating factor. This subjects the drunk driver to a claim for punitive damages. Punitive damages in Tennessee are appropriate in the case where the defendant acts intentionally, maliciously, fraudulently, or recklessly.
If you have any questions about this or any other personal injury matter, please feel free to call Dave Weissman at 615-256-6666.