All drivers have a responsibility to operate their vehicles in a safe manner for the protection of their passengers and others on the road. When drivers breach this obligation, the result is often catastrophic, including collisions with life-changing or life-ending injuries. A fatal accident can leave a family and community devastated, and many want answers to the questions that surround these tragic events.
One such accident recently took the life of a California man. The 27-year-old man was driving eastbound through a residential neighborhood when he stopped at an intersection. Suddenly, a second vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed slammed into the back of his car, propelling it across the intersection and into two parked cars. The impact of the crash resulted in fatal injuries.
A case for wrongful death
Authorities pronounced the victim dead at the scene. The driver of the second vehicle was arrested and charged with three felonies, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. In situations like these when the reckless or negligent acts of one person cost the life of another, the family of the victim may be left to struggle financially because of funeral expenses, loss of income and the loss of other services the victim may have provided for the family.
Fortunately, in some cases, those families may have recourse through the civil courts. A wrongful death claim may be appropriate following a fatal accident in which alcohol, distraction or other negligence played a part. Through a successful wrongful death case, a grieving family may take the first steps to regaining some normalcy after tragically losing a loved one in a senseless accident.