Would Ibe criminally responsible for all offenses committed bya driver ifI let someone who is drunk drive?
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Would Ibe criminally responsible for all offenses committed bya driver ifI let someone who is drunk drive?
Would I be criminally responsible for whatever a drunk driver did with my vehicle or would there only be na aiding and abetting DWI/DUI offense? Nothing has yet happened.
Asked on August 2, 2011 Washington
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Many states in this country have criminal statutes precluding a person to let an owner of a car knowingly let its driver drive it under the influence of alcohol and/or a controlled substance. Most likely if you let a person drive your own vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, you could be charged as to what you did wrong criminally, but not for the criminal offense of the driver.
The concern you should have in the above scenario would be your liability from a civil standpoint if the drunk driver that you allowed to drive your vehicle drove it in such a fashion where third parties were injured.
You could very well be sued for negligent entrustment of the vehicle to the drunk driver.
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