When a person is killed in a truck accident as a result negligent truck driver, that person’s family may have the ability to bring a wrongful death suit. The suit can hold a negligent driver financially responsible for the accident.
Recently, a Missouri family has filed a wrongful death suit following a deadly truck accident. In this case, five people — including three children — were killed when a semi-truck collided with a passenger vehicle in Kansas City.
According to reports, a 24-year-old woman, her 17-year-old acquaintance and three children — ages 2-years, 1-year and 7-months — were riding in a car on Dec. 27, 2014. For some reason, the car stalled and was stranded on I-435. While the car was stuck in the right lane, a truck driver smashed into the car. Police reports claim that the driver failed to see the car, despite the fact that four witnesses claimed the car’s hazard lights were on. As a result, police say the truck driver did not slow down while approaching the car or attempt to move out of the way.
The mother of the 17-year-old has brought the suit. She has sued the driver’s family since the driver did not have a valid license at the time of the accident. The woman has also sued the truck driver and the truck company in the suit.
A wrongful death suit allows the family of a fatal car accident victim to receive compensation for certain costs caused by the accident. These costs can include lost wages, medical expenses before the person’s death, funeral costs and pain and suffering. The family may also be able to recover compensation for loss of companionship or other similar damages. While this compensation cannot heal the emotional wounds left by a fatal truck accident, it can help to ease the financial impact of their loved one’s death.
Source: KSHB, “Crash victim’s family files wrongful death suit after fatal I-435 crash,” March 5, 2015