MADISON, WI, USA, August 29, 2013 /
EINPresswire.com/ -- For the first time since 2009, penalties for drinking and driving in the state of Wisconsin could increase. Three bills were recently presented to the Wisconsin State Assembly Judiciary Committee that may pave the way for a tougher stance against drunk driving in the state.
For the first time since 2009, penalties for drinking and driving in the state of Wisconsin could increase. Three bills were recently presented to the Wisconsin State Assembly Judiciary Committee by Rep. Jim Ott (R-23) and Sen. Alberta Darling (R-8) that may pave the way for a tougher stance against drinking and driving in the state, especially if
injuries from accidents in Madison and throughout Wisconsin occur that involve drinking and driving.
If passed, the first bill (AB 69) would raise the minimum prison sentence for a drunken driving crash that results in injury from 30 days to six months. The second bill (AB 70) would enact a minimum prison sentence of 10 years for a drunken driving homicide. The third bill introduced (AB 71) would make a third drinking and driving offense a felony.
With the Wisconsin Department of Transportation reporting that the state has the highest rate of drunk driving in the nation and more than 44,000 convictions for drunken driving offenses in the last year, it is possible that these bills, if passed, would help deter drinking and driving. For people who have suffered an
auto accident injury in Wisconsin as a result of drunk driving or will suffer one in the future, these bills may be an assurance that strict penalties will be imposed on those who choose to drink and drive.
It is important to know
what to do after a car accident. All parties involved, including witnesses, should exchange contact information and speak with the police. Moreover, although the actions taken immediately after a car accident are crucial, those taken in the weeks that follow are just as important. A person who has been in a car accident should follow up with his or her own insurance company; he or she should never contact that of the other party. Sometimes, it’s difficult to determine a possible legal case as the victim of a drunk driver. However, for a car accident injury in Madison, contacting a good local personal injury lawyer is a great first step.
The debate about the value of these bills will continue in the coming weeks, but drunk driving in Wisconsin will continue to be a problem. Whether these new penalties will offer relief to victims of drunken driving accidents remains to be seen.
DeWitt Ross & Stevens personal injury team has the strength and resources to generate award-winning outcomes year after year as part of one of Madison’s largest law firms, and has helped thousands of people obtain fair compensation. With experience in a wide range of personal injuries, from elder abuse to auto accident injury cases, this personal injury team prides itself on exceptional knowledge of the law, ethical practices, discretion, sensitivity and outstanding results.
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