At about 5 AM on November 2, 2019, a 20-year-old woman struck a vehicle driven by a 38-year-old father and Navy veteran named Jean Saintilma on the MacArthur Causeway. Jean was driving the vehicle for work and was on his way home when he was hit. The violent impact ejected him, causing severe head injuries. He was then taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition. The crash site closed MacArthur Causeway westbound for nearly 10 hours and the young woman was arrested for DUI and was held on a $10,000 bond.
Numerous local news sources covered the story, including:
The Need for Long-Term Care
Six months later, we are sad to report that Jean remains in a vegetative state. Our firm represents him and his six-year-old son, who has had to bear one of the worst tragedies any young person can experience.
“Even though he’s here, he’s not here,” said Yahaira Reid, the mother of Jean’s son, to reporters. “My son will never hear his voice again.”
In addition to the tragedy they’ve already suffered, Jean’s family faces another problem: he is not covered for long-term care. Although he served in the U.S. Navy, Jean may lose access to the medical services he desperately needs.
Getting Justice for Jean Saintilma
Our firm’s investigation revealed that the night she struck our client, the drunk driver was served alcohol by two popular bars in Miami, despite being underage.
Under Florida’s dram shop statute, restaurants and bars may be legally and financially liable for injuries that result from serving an underage person alcohol. This law helps ensure that restaurants and bars take the proper precautions to verify their patrons are all of age.
Our firm believes that Jean and his son deserve justice and compensation to ensure that neither of them are denied the medical care, benefits, or financial stability they desperately need.