The deaths of a man from Cass Lake, Minnesota, and a woman from Deer River were allegedly caused by the drunk driving of a 29-year-old Deer River resident who has been charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. The Minnesota criminal complaint against the driver — Derrick Lee Cloud — was filed by prosecutors in Itasca County.
According to records of the collision, those killed — ages 27 and 21 respectively — were making a U-turn when Cloud’s SUV struck the driver’s side door. Bail for the accused drunk driver was set at $200,000, or $100,000 if he subjects to electronic home monitoring. The Minnesota State Patrol’s investigation of this tragic accident indicated that Mr. Cloud had been drinking at his house and a casino before the crash.
Any drunk driving lawsuit stemming from this accident should further investigate Mr. Cloud’s activities before the crash. Lawyers for next of kin can file litigation in an attempt to hold any bar, restaurant or other liquor provider accountable if they contributed to his impairment. Part of the analysis of co-called dram shop liability is whether the establishment sold or served alcohol to an obviously intoxicated individual or a person under the legal drinking age.
It is illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol content (BAC) at or above 0.08% in every state. For commercial bus and truck drivers, the BAC limit is less than 0.04%. For people under 21, “zero tolerance” laws make it illegal to drive with any measurable amount of BAC.
When these laws are broken and someone is killed, the family has the right to file a lawsuit seeking justice. The family may have a claim for punitive damages, one that seeks enough money to “punish” the wrongdoer. Attorneys at our law firm have handled many cases against bars, restaurants and others. In one case, they won $6 million for a client whose leg was crushed in an accident and later had to be amputated.