In Massachusetts, a court recently convicted a
teen of homicide because he was in a fatal car accident that resulted from
texting while the teen was behind the wheel. He was then given the maximum
sentence for the murder.
Thirty-eight other states and the District of
Columbia have made it a crime to text while you are behind the wheel of a car.
In Missouri, if you are in a fatal car accident where someone loses their life
due to the at-fault driver texting and driving, it is possible for the driver
to be charged and convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Because distracted driving has become such a
problem across the United States, texting or using your cell phone while you
are driving is illegal. If someone is in a car accident while using a mobile
device, they might be charged with a crime.
What is
Involuntary Manslaughter?
Involuntary manslaughter, which is also
sometimes referred to as criminally negligent manslaughter, is a crime where
one person kills another person without the specific intent to do so. If a person is texting while driving and end up in a fatal car accident, even though they didn’t mean to kill anyone, the result is that their actions were to blame for
another persons wrongful death. The fact that you drove with recklessness
opens you up to the potential of being convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
If they are charged with involuntary
manslaughter, it is considered a Class B or a Class C felony according to how
the victim died along with other factors related to their death. The
penalty for involuntary manslaughter can range from up to seven years and a five
thousand dollar fine if it is a Class C felony, and five to fifteen years in
prison if it is a Class B felony.
When
can the charges be more severe?
If the driver who is responsible for the
death of someone else in a car accident has a history of DWI, killed more
than two people in the accident, had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.18% or
higher or if the person who was killed was not a passenger, the charges may be
escalated as a Class A felony. Being convicted of a Class A felony, can result as many as ten to thirty years in prison.
If the at-fault driver is not charged with involuntary
manslaughter in criminal court but, due to texting and driving, are responsible
for someone else’s death, it is possible for the deceased family to file a
wrongful death suit against them in civil court.
It is illegal to text and drive in the state
of Missouri and doing so can lead to serious consequences and even jail time if a driver ends up killing someone.
Call the St. Louis Wrongful Death Attorney Today
Nothing affects a family more than the unexpected death of a father, mother, child or other relative. The void left by this sudden death can seem impossible to fill. If one of your family members was killed in a car accident caused by a negligent driver, you deserve compensation for your emotional and financial losses.
While compensation from a wrongful death lawsuit cannot replace what you have lost, it can provide you with a much-needed sense of justice. Furthermore, this compensation can alleviate some of your family’s financial worries.
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