The lawyers and staff at Aversa & Linn understand that nothing can fully compensate a family that has lost a loved one. We work tirelessly to obtain a monetary recovery that will enable a family in this tragic situation to move forward with a degree of financial security.
Nearly 1.3 million people die in road crashes each year, on average 3,287 deaths a day. Sometimes a car accident is just that, an accident. But sometimes the accident is the result of negligent, reckless, or violent behavior of another individual or business. If that is the case, the survivors of the deceased person may be able to bring a wrongful death claim.
A well-known example of a wrongful death claim resulted from the car accident that caused the death of actor Paul Walker. Walker, who was best known for his role in the Fast and the Furious movie franchise, died after colliding with a tree in November 2013. After hitting a tree, the car caught fire. Both Walker and the driver Roger Rodas died at the scene. Walker’s daughter Meadow brought a wrongful death suit against Porsche, the maker of the car he rode in at the time of his death.
Meadow Walker’s wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche alleged that the car’s engine and lack of safety features prevented her father from getting out of the crash alive. Porsche settled the lawsuit, and the terms are confidential.
As the example above shows, sometimes with a car accident the other driver is the responsible party, but it is not always that simple. If someone dies from a car accident, their surviving family members may have a claim not only against another driver, but also possibly against the car, car parts, or tire manufacturer, a municipality, an employer if the deceased was working at the time of the accident, a business that overserved alcohol to the other driver. Or if someone else’s negligence caused the accident, like a construction company not properly directing traffic, that company may be held liable.
This is one reason it’s important to hire an experienced car accident attorney, like those at Aversa & Linn, to help evaluate all potential defendants.
The following types of damages may be awarded in a wrongful death case:
- Funeral, burial and estate administration expenses.
- Medical expenses incurred prior to the victim’s death.
- Income lost by the victim prior to death.
- Lost future income the victim would have contributed to the family during his or her life.
- The value of the household services the victim performed and would have performed during his or her lifetime.
- Compensation for the family’s lost care, companionship and guidance from the victim.
- Compensation for the family’s pain and suffering (grief, sorrow, shock)
Aversa & Linn obtains significant verdicts and settlements that allow family members to begin to put their lives back together after the tragic loss of a loved one.
If your loved one died in a car accident, Aversa & Linn can evaluate the particular circumstances and help you decide whether or not to bring a wrongful death claim.
