On the night of Sunday, October 25, 2009, according to a recent News Chief article, a 2005 four-door Honda crashed into a mainline power pole on Old Polk City Road near State Road 33 in Lakeland, FL. The Honda, driven by Luke J. Huber, 28, of 125 Hamolia Ave., in Polk City, FL, crashed around 4:15 a.m. into a mainline power pole on Old Polk City Road near State Road 33, in Lakeland, FL.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Huber suffered minor injuries in the crash. He was later arrested by deputies on one count of driving under the influence and booked into the Polk County Jail.
The crash caused a major power outage around Polk City, FL, north of the Polk County-Lake County line.
Lakeland, FL, electric were still working to restore the power, and Lakeland, FL, utility officials estimated that power could remain out as late as 9 p.m., according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
According to a report released by Mothers Against Drunk Driving( MADD), almost 18,000 people died in alcohol-related accidents in the United States in 2003, up from 2002. The dangers of drunk-driving dangers were highlighted in the '80s and '90s. MADD began in 1979 after a teenage girl was killed by the car of a drunk driver and her mother decided to take action. In the past two decades since MADD's inception, drunk-driving deaths plummeted from 30,000 a year to 15,000.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), every 30 minutes, someone dies in an alcohol-related crash. Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes killed over 17,000 people in 2005 alone, which are the latest figures available. Alcohol is a factor in 6% of all traffic crashes, and over 40% of all fatal crashes.
The National Safety Council(NSC) estimates that injuries cost society $434.8 billion in 1995. This includes estimates of economic costs of fatal and nonfatal unintentional injuries together with employer costs, vehicle damage costs and fire losses. The costs by class were: motor vehicle, $170.6 billion; work, $119.4; and, home and public, $158.4 billion. In 1995, fatal injuries were the fifth leading cause of death behind heart disease, cancer, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
In my practice as a personal injury attorney in Polk County, FL, I represent DUI victims who sustain bodily injuries as a result of a drunk driver. In the State of Florida, it is important to note that if a DUI conviction is obtained against the drunk driver, a DUI victim may be entitled to punitive damages. Unlike compensatory damages, which are calculated to restore the plaintiff to his or her pre-accident state, punitive damages are awarded to punish the defendant for his/her actions.
