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Family members dealing with the loss of a loved one

Car accidents can lead to serious bodily injury or death depending on the seriousness of the accident. Many car accidents that people are involved in do not require hospitalization or medical assistance. These types of accidents are known as fender-benders, or non-life threatening car accidents. However, often times car crashes are serious.

In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, a Fairfield woman was killed in a car crash. The accident occurred in Franklin Township in Adams County on U.S. 30. A male driver crossed the center lane and struck two vehicles. The woman’s car was the second of the vehicles struck. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The man driving the first car that was hit was taken to Gettysburg hospital for treatment of his injuries. The driver that caused the accident was also taken to the hospital. Neither driver that was hit was wearing their seatbelt. Police suspect that alcohol may have been the cause of the accident but police are still investigating the crash.

Car crashes of this nature where someone is killed as a result is devastating for the family members that are left behind to deal with what happened. Family members are left with a situation that was not only unforeseeable but also unimaginable. Losing a loved one in a car accident is difficult to handle and hard to digest. Not only do the families have to accept the death of a loved one but they also have to take on any financial burdens that accompany the car accident.

The court can attempt to ease this financial burden where appropriate. In instances where the car crash was the fault of someone else, the family of the victim can attempt to hold that person liable by filing a wrongful death suit. A wrongful death suit is a civil suit whereby the court will hold the driver at fault responsible for the death of the victim. This is a purely punitive measure that rewards the victim’s family monetarily for their loss.

Wrongful death claims may not be appropriate in every case but it is definitely worth looking into if the situation warrants it.

Source: Waynesboro Record Herald, “Fairfield woman killed in three-vehicle crash along U.S. 30”, Sept. 15, 2012

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