Donald Bernius was arrested and charged with boating under the influence in an accident on the Tchoutacabouffa River near Biloxi, MS. Christopher Webb was thrown overboard and died as a result of the boating accident. His brother, Shane Webb, was hospitalized with serious injuries. The accident happened when the at fault boater was trying to get away from a marine patrol officer and hit the other boat head-on.
Anyone who was hurt by this drunk boat driver can make a claim against this person's insurance company. BUT, be careful who you make a claim against and what you say happened. The driver's homeowner's policy and car policy will probably not apply to this boating accident; but, the boat policy may provide liability insurance for the accident if it is not excluded from the policy. The boat insurance company may try to claim that since their driver was in the process of a crime, i.e., fleeing an officer, then there is no coverage. IF that happens , then the family of Mr. Webb should consult with a Mississippi Accident Lawyer as soon as possible to protect the families rights.
Also, the bar or alcohol establishment who sold the alcohol to the driver may also be sued for contributing to the accident. You would have to prove that the driver was visibly intoxicated when he bought the alcohol in order to recover against the bar. This is called liquor liability.
If the boater did not have any insurance, then the family may make a claim against their own boat policy for uninsured benefits if they bought that type of coverage on their policy.
This could end up being a complicated case. An attorney with experience in these types of cases is crucial. Our law office has been handling cases like this for over 30 years and has extensive experience in successfully settling these types of cases for our clients.If you would like a FREE consultation, call Paul Snow at 601-969-1977 or 1-800-640-4478 or contact us online. We do not charge any attorney fees unless we recover for you. Call now before it is too late.
