Fatal drunk driving accidents can result in serious repercussions for the driver who was intoxicated and caused the death of another person. First, a drunk driver will be subject to the increasingly harsh penalties that exist in state drunk driving laws. While these laws vary from state to state, the national trends in drunk driving laws are on tougher punishments, even for first-time offenders, and particularly when an accident results in death. Criminal sanctions for a drunk driving conviction can result in a mandatory driver's license suspension period, the installation of an ignition interlock device in one's vehicle, probation, community services, court fees and fines, increased auto insurance rates, and even incarceration. Second, in addition to criminal liability, a drunk driver may face civil penalties as well, in the form of financial compensation for the victim's family, as court ordered through a wrongful death lawsuit. When combined, the criminal and civil liability can have a devastating effect on the drunk driver for years to come.