Helping my daughter with a homework assignment and cant find a sample invoice of as a bill for someone who has been involved in a drunk-driving accident as a driver.
1. repairing a car that has been totaled
2. increase in insurance rates
3. hospital expenses
4. funeral arrangements
5. jail fines (or fines for violation of law)
1) repairing a car that has been totaled–you are usually only responsible for the deductible if you have collision coverage on your insurance which would be $500 to $1,000; if you don’t have collision then this will depend on the year, make and model of your car (budget $1,000 to $10,000);
2) increase in insurance rates–usually you will be canceled if you have had a DWI so this will probably result in your paying 100 to 200% more for insurance and a long and hard search for a company willing to write the policy for you;
3) hospital expenses–if you have health insurance usually only your deductible or co-pay which is probably anywhere from $250 to several thousand dollars and if you don’t have insurance several thousand dollars or more depending on extent of injuries;
4) funeral arrangements–usually $10,000 to $15,000 for a no frills funeral;
5) legal costs–i.e. includes fines for violation of law and attorneys fees–a recent survey in Maryland found that it costs about $10,000 on average;
6) time lost from work (you did not list this but it is an actual expense)–would depend on your average income but this would cover the time you spend going back and forth to court, recovering from your injuries, going to DMV to get your license back, etc. I would estimate about 2 months @ about $3,500 per month or $7,000.
And last but not least the loss of your reputation which is something that cannot be quantified. No matter what people might say having a DWI can affect many areas of your life, i.e. it can make you ineligible for certain jobs, certain volunteer work, it can affect how you are viewed by your friends, family, colleagues at work and supervisors. Also no matter what driving while intoxicated can result in permanent injuries or death to your passengers who can be friends, fellow students, co-workers or family and leaving you with guilt for many years. A few hours or minutes of pleasure should be carefully weighed against all these costs.
I hope this information helps. Good Luck!
I’m unable to supply you with your request, but I can give you a couple of incidences where drunk drivers have caused accidents.
A few years ago, there was a busload of kids who went on a church outing. On their way home, in the night, a drunk driver was on the wrong side of the interstate, and hit the bus headon. It caused the bus to catch fire, and all were killed, about 20 kids and the driver. The drunk driver didn’t get hurt, but he’s spending time in prison.
Another, just recently, a few miles from where I live. A 3-time convicted drunk had stolen a pickup truck from a dealer, hit another vehicle, killing a young father and his two children. The drunk had minor injuries. This happened during mid-day.
In my opinion, anyone caught drinking and driving, even on the first offense, should spend time in prison, not put back out on the street again to possible kill someone the next time.