Woman Dies After Crash in St. Augustine, Florida
A woman died after being involved in a crash in St. Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida, according to an article on News4Jax.com. The woman was critically injured after being hit in the intersection of Shores Boulevard and Deltona Boulevard in St. Augustine by a car driven by Christopher Jones, according to the article.
When St. Johns County police investigated the crash, they learned that Mr. Jones did not have a valid license and may have been drinking. Criminal charges have not been filed in relation to the crash pending the investigation which probably means the police are awaiting the results of a blood test for alcohol taken from Mr. Jones after the crash.
In any crash resulting in serious injuries or a death, whether a driver had been drinking alcohol or had ingested drugs is a significant issue to be investigated. If it can be proven that alcohol and/or drugs were involved, it opens the door for the plaintiff(s) to collect punitive damages from the defendant. If the driver did not have a valid license, that can also be relevant in the personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit depending on the circumstances. Personal injury/wrongful death lawyers would look into when and why the driver's license became invalid andf what effect that may have had on the person's driving patterns and actual driving leading up to the crash.
Any time there is a serious crash and alcohol and other potential driving-related crimes are involved, those issues must be thoroughly explored. They can lead to a significant increase in damages for the plainitff.
