Fans Making Plans Should Be Mindful of the End Goal

It was February 3, 2013!  The Baltimore Ravens had just beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31.  As Delanie Walker was traveling home with the rest of the team, several family members were returning home as well, among them his aunt and uncle. They never made it!

A drunk driver, who police estimated was traveling in excess of 100 mph, rear-ended the couple’s car, while it was pulled over on the shoulder of the road. The car burst into flames, killing the couple. In fact, heir vehicle was so charred, they were not immediately identified. The drunk driver survived, and ultimately pled guilty to two counts of vehicular negligent homicide.

Walker, who is now a tight end for the Tennessee Titans, believes he could have easily made the same fatal mistake through his own negligence.  “I’ve done it. I drank and drove,” Walker told FOX Sports during an interview.  Now, Walker not only refuses to get behind the wheel after imbibing, he also hopes to help change the culture of drinking and driving that still exists among some of his peers.  He has even joined M.A.D.D.’s fight to stop alcohol-related accidents.

Walker said telling people not to drink and drive was hard in the beginning because he doesn’t want to tell people what to do, but he does want them to be safe.   “My goal is to prevent drinking and driving; to make people realize that it’s senseless.  If you don’t like it, there’s something wrong with you,” he said.

With Super Bowl Sunday 2015 just days away, Lawsuit Financial urges fans to have a plan to safely reach their destination.

• Designate a sober driver or have an alternate transportation plan – cab, family member, friend before the party begins.  
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Eat food, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic beverages.
• If you are drunk and can’t find a sober driver, stay where you are and sleep it off.
• Use your community's sober ride program or social media apps such as Uber.
• Always buckle up!  It is still the best defense against other drunk drivers.

If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, don’t stand on the sidelines.  You can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in a drunk-driving accident.

• Make sure your guests designate a sober driver in advance or have arranged alternate transportation.
• Serve food and include non-alcoholic beverages.
• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter and begin serving coffee and dessert.
• Keep phone numbers for local cab companies handy or arrange other means of transportation for your drinking guests.
• Let your guest sleep it off at your home until sober.
• Take the keys away from anyone who has had too much to drink.  In fact, consider collecting keys as your guests arrive and returning them once you determine they are sober to leave.  

Drinking and getting behind the wheel is a choice; it is also a 100% preventable crime.   Even though you may have driven after drinking and gotten away with it in the past, doesn't mean you will again.  Don’t wait for it to hit home; it will be too late; just ask Delanie Walker.  Whether you have tickets to the game, are attending a party, or watching the event at a sports bar, make sure your plans don’t include a trip to the hospital or worse, the morgue.

Mark Bello is the CEO and General Counsel of Lawsuit Financial Corporation, a pro-justice lawsuit funding company.