DUI Cases in Mississippi: If A Mississippi DUI Criminal Defendant Gets Jail Time, Are There Other Remedies Available for the Families of the Victims Under Mississippi Laws?
What happens to the family members of those who are killed in fatal DUI car accidents in Mississippi? This is a question that many families who have lost loved ones to DUI car accidents in Mississippi may wonder in light of a recent case in Madison County. According to local news reports, a Mississippi woman was sentenced last month for her role in a fatal DUI car accident that happened in June of last year. The terrible and fatal car accident took the life of a much-beloved teacher and mother, who was named 2023-2024 Nichols Middle School Teacher of the Year. In the tragic DUI case, reports indicate that the defendant, a 33-year-old woman from Louisville, was driving the wrong direction on Mississippi’s Interstate 55 in Gluckstadt, when she crashed into Tyra Small-Jackson. Small-Jackson was pronounced dead after she arrived at the hospital for life-saving medical treatment. Her father and her infant baby were in the car with her when the accident occurred. The Defendant was reported to have purchased 20 airplane bottles of liquor before the accident happened, and had a blood alcohol level of 0.241 when the accident occurred. Of the accident, Small-Jackson’s sister stated, “This has unlocked a new trigger for me because since (then), I have seen so many more cases of people drinking and driving, getting on the wrong side of the highway and colliding with someone…Tyra was a bright light and I want people to know that you can’t drink and drive and just get on the highway and drive willy-nilly as you please.” The defendant stated, “I’m so sorry. It was the biggest mistake of my life, and every day since June 22, I have lived in a prison inside my head…I don’t understand why God didn’t take me and he took her. That’s something I’ll never understand. The guilt of being able to breathe and to be able to walk, it is almost crippling.” The DUI defendant will now spend 23 years in prison for aggravated DUI.
What about the Families of Those Killed in Fatal DUI Car Accidents in Mississippi?
While a DUI criminal defendant may spend time in jail, and perhaps even lament the actions that led to the death of another person while they serve their sentence, the family members of fatal DUI car accident victims may wonder if there are any options to get justice under Mississippi civil laws. Fortunately, the answer is yes. Under Mississippi civil personal injury laws, certain family members of those victims killed in fatal DUI car accidents may bring a wrongful death lawsuit in court to recover compensation for the loss of their loved one. In order to determine whether you may have a case for compensation for the loss of your loved one to a drunk driver, it is best to speak with an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer about your case.
The experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers at the law firm Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC are here to help the families of serious DUI car accidents get justice. Contact Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC today and speak to a lawyer about your case now.
Source:
wapt.com/article/jordan-sullivan-sentenced-dui-crash-kills-teacher/63736488
