Anyone who has ever received a phone call to inform them that a family member has died in an automobile accident understands the type of devastation such incidents bring to unsuspecting families in California and throughout the country. When a sudden death due to collision occurs during a holiday season, grief is intensified. It can also have an impact on all future holidays, as well, when memories of the loss resurface and sorrow is felt anew.
Ways to honor the loved one’s memory
Moving on in life after losing a loved one in a fatal collision is difficult and can, at times, feel daunting and nearly impossible. The following list includes simple gestures a grieving family can make to help them honor a deceased loved one’s memory during the holidays:
- Light a candle in his or her honor.
- Create an online tribute page where other friends and family members can add their thoughts, including memories of times they shared with the loved one.
- When the family gathers for a holiday meal, take turns having each person at the table share a happy or funny memory about the loved one who died.
- Make a favorite food of the loved one to add to the holiday menu.
Not being hesitant to talk about the loved one who died can be helpful to processing one’s grief, especially during the holidays. It is also a good idea to allow oneself to take a break from a gathering or to decline an invitation if one simply does not feel up to socializing with others on a particular day.
How to find closure in cases where a death was avoidable
It is difficult enough to learn that a loved one has suffered fatal injuries in a California collision. If a family learns that their loved one’s death was caused by another driver’s negligence or reckless behavior behind the wheel, feelings of frustration or anger may surface. It is difficult to find closure when a grieving family member knows that a drunk driver or person who was speeding caused a loved one’s death; however, many families find it therapeutic to seek justice on behalf of a deceased loved one by filing a wrongful death claim in a civil court.