Marcus Kowal, a mixed martial arts fighter, is pushing for stricter drunk driving laws after his 15-month-old son Liam was hit and killed by a drunk driver. According to CBS News, the accident occurred two years ago when Liam’s aunt was pushing him in his stroller.
Donna Marie Higgins, who was driving under the influence, struck Liam and his aunt while they were crossing a crosswalk. The young Liam was discovered without a pulse, and after three days was taken off life support. Higgins was later sentenced to 6 years in prison because she was driving under the influence of prescription drugs and alcohol at the time of the accident.
Kowal retired from MMA fighting and is focusing on raising awareness of the tragic consequences of drunk driving. He started a non-profit in his son’s name and he and his wife are working to encourage lawmakers to lower the legal blood alcohol content level for driving in California. Kowal hopes they will lower it from .08 to .05. He states, “Ultimately, this fight in Liam’s name is to save other children and other families from having to go through what we’ve gone through.”
This is yet another example of a Los Angeles drunk driving accident that should never have occurred. We hope Kowal’s story is able to remind others to make good choices. Tragically, far too often families lose loved ones as a result of the poor choice of another person to drink and drive. When a DUI ends with causing a death, the family members of the victim can bring a wrongful death claim against the driver and owners of the vehicle that caused the accident in addition to any criminal charges that person faces.
Our office has been handling Los Angeles drunk driving wrongful death cases for over 30 years. Our job is to help family members who have lost loved ones get the financial compensation they deserve for their loss. We understand the pain and financial burden that comes when a DUI crash results in the untimely loss of a loved one. Contact us today for a free consultation.