Earlier this month, Indianapolis police officer David Bisard was behind the wheel of his patrol car, driving the local public roads with a blood alcohol content exceeding twice the legal limits (.08%) under Indiana law.
We have to assume Officer Bisard knows the drunk driving laws of this state. We also have to assume that Officer Bisard knows exactly what can happen when someone drives a motor vehicle while they are under the influence.
Accidents happen. People die.
This is exactly what happened. As a result of Officer Bisard’s actions one hot summer evening, he slammed his squad car into two motorcycles. In the crash on August 6, 2010, Eric Wells died and two others, Mary Mills and Kurt Weekly, were injured. Our condolences go out to their families.
There’s an investigation going on right now.
David Bisard’s blood has been tested and his BAC levels have been revealed in the local media as being 0.19%. That’s someone who is very, very inebriated.
Sure, the first thing everyone thinks about is the criminal laws that have been violated. A police officer becomes a criminal – though there’s some anger that he wasn’t booked into jail after his arrest.
Civil Lawsuits: Trying to Find Justice
However, the civil laws quietly exist on the books, too – to help those in situations like this find some sort of justice. That’s why we have wrongful death statutes and negligence damages as longstanding Indiana law.
This may seem like a sad solution to the tragedies the victims and their loved ones are facing – the option of filing a lawsuit — but it’s a fight worth fighting. Especially in cases like this, where fury doesn’t seem an unreasonable reaction.
