Flager & Associates Comments on Report about Repeat Drunk Driving Offenders
Trevose, PA (PRWEB) September 22, 2014 -- Due to a loophole in Pennsylvania’s drunk driving laws, many repeat drunk driving offenders continue to drive in Pennsylvania, putting everyone on the road at risk, according to an in-depth news story that came as no surprise to Philadelphia personal injury lawyer Randall C. Flager of Flager & Associates.
Flager expressed his comments in response to an article written by The Philadelphia Inquirer about drunk driving accidents and the state’s drunk driving laws. (Philly.com, “Despite tougher Pa. DUI laws, many repeat offenders stay on the road,” Sept. 7, 2014)
“Hopefully this article serves as a wake-up call for state lawmakers to change Pennsylvania’s drunk driving laws,” said Flager, a Philadelphia attorney with more than 30 years of legal experience. “I understand that everyone deserves the right to a fair trial. But there’s something seriously wrong with the state’s legal system when drivers arrested several times for drunk driving in Pennsylvania are back on the streets, putting all of us in danger. We take drunk driving accidents very seriously at Flager & Associates. That’s because we believe drunk drivers should be held accountable for their actions if they cause a serious accident involving another driver.”
On paper, Pennsylvania has strict drunk driving laws, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer article. People convicted of drunk driving in Pennsylvania are supposed to be sentenced to 5 to 90 days in jail for a second conviction, 10 days to 1 year in jail for a third conviction and 10 days to 1 year in jail for a fourth conviction, according to data compiled by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Instead, many drivers in Pennsylvania convicted of drunk driving spend little or no time in jail because of a loophole in Pennsylvania’s drunk driving laws, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The loophole can be traced back to a 2009 court ruling in Pennsylvania, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. According to the newspaper’s in-depth investigation into drunk driving accidents statewide, “repeat offenders benefit from a 2009 state Supreme Court opinion that requires a motorist be convicted of DUI before being charged as a repeat offender on a subsequent drunken-driving arrest.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer article used one person as an illustration of the absurdity of the law, noting that one person repeatedly arrested for drunk driving in Pennsylvania spent no more than 10 days in jail and never lost his driver’s license.
Stories like these about repeat drunk driving offenders still legally driving in Pennsylvania illustrate that more clearly needs to be done to protect other drivers, Flager said.
“There’s no room for error when it comes to drunk driving accidents,” Flager said. “All it takes is one careless move by one driver who’s had too much to drink to cause a serious or even fatal accident. We know because our office has worked with countless victims of drunk driving accidents in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. And what makes these accidents so sad is they can easily be prevented.”
For more information about what to do after a drunk driving accident in Pennsylvania or New Jersey and the legal options available to injury victims, call (215) 953-5200 or visit us online at http://www.flagerlaw.com/contact
About Flager & Associates
Experienced Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer Randall C. Flager created Flager & Associates in order to provide exceptional legal advice to residents in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Bucks County and throughout Pennsylvania. The law firm focuses on auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, workplace accidents, product liability and slip and fall accidents. Attorney Flager and his staff work closely with each client and have a strong track record for obtaining large verdicts and settlements. The law firm works on a contingency fee basis. As a result, clients only pay for legal services if they win.
Flager & Associates
1210 Northbrook Dr
Feasterville-Trevose, PA 19053
(215) 953-5200
http://www.flagerlaw.com
Jacob M Del Hagen, Big Voodoo Interactive, http://www.bigvoodoo.com, +1 (413) 650-0593, [email protected]
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