And, being teenagers, sometimes they or their friends use bad judgment in what they put on their social media sites. In this case, though, their decisions could have long-range effects.

Here’s a link to a recent blog posting by the publisher of the Virginia Lawyers Weekly. The blog was based on a story that appeared in the U.S.News & World Report of the “5 Do’s and Don’ts for College Students Using Social Media.”

The short message is that prospective employers look at social media to find out what your teen is posting about herself and her friends. And, once it’s out there, it’s out there. Your teen may think the picture her friend posted of her doing something stupid was removed, but it’s still out there somewhere, and savvy employers are watching.

Savvy lawyers are watching, too. I have used social media to find out about a drunk driver who seriously injured a teenager. I found all kinds of postings on Facebook and My Space, all involving alcohol. That information will help when it’s time for me to talk to the young man under oath.

 The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles reports that in 2008, 354 people were killed in Virginia in alcohol-related crashes.  That’s almost one person each day of the year.  That same year, 5,043 people were injured. Regardless of statistics or self-reporting studies, if your child has been injured or killed by a drunk driver, that’s 100% too many drunks driving. 

Some people don’t like MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving.  MADD’s mission is to get drunk drivers off the roads.  One thing that can be said for the organization is that it has kept that issue in the news.  Ask every mother who has lost a child or whose child was seriously injured by a drunk, and you’ll know that every one of them is against drunk driving. 

There are special legal rules that apply when a drunk driver injures or kills someone.  If your child has been injured or killed by a drunk driver, contact a lawyer experienced in handling such cases.  Give me a call at 703-273-9500, contact me through my firm’s website, www.WRSattorneys.com or send me an email at srohrstaff@WRSattorneys.com.  I will answer your questions for free.  No child should die at the hands of a drunk driver.

Gloria Delgado had done everything right to protect her family.  Her little boy, Jonathan Wade-Ortiz, was properly strapped in a car seat in the back seat of her car.  Her mother Rebecca Sacra was in the front passenger seat.  Ms. Delgado and her familiy were returning home from a vacation.  She was stopped at a red light.  Young Jonathan and Ms. Sacra were killed instantly when their car was struck by the car driven by William Mallory.  Mallory was drunk.  He wasn’t hurt.

There are laws that will deal with and punish Mallory, but there are no laws that can bring Ms. Delgado’s family back to her.  She lost her best friend, her mother, and the love of her life, her son.   There is no justice that can replace her family, but I hope that Mallory has resources that can be used to repay Ms. Delgado for the multitude of losses she is suffering.