Travel Expenses Not Awarded to Son of Victim Hit by Drunk Driver

The son of a woman killed by a drunk driver can’t recover from the defendant the travel expenses he and his family incurred to attend the funeral, the Tenth Circuit said Friday.

Twyla Casados pleaded guilty to manslaughter after she killed Charlene Bailey while driving drunk. Bailey’s son, Anthony Rivas, was awarded $7,724 under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act for the costs for his family to attend Bailey’s funeral.

The federal statute allows a victim—defined as a person directly and proximately harmed by the crime—to be reimbursed by the defendant for transportation expenses incurred attending proceedings related to the offense. ...