Fatal Car Accidents are Emotionally Devastating, But they Do Not have to be Financially Devastating Too
In 2019, there were 38,800 people killed in car accidents throughout the United States. That means that there are about 106 car accident fatalities everyday in the United States. In Minnesota alone there were 381 car accident deaths in 2018. Out of the 381 deaths, 258 of them were motorists, 45 were pedestrians, 7 were bicyclists, and 58 were motorcyclists. That’s a lot of car accident fatalities, and these statistics don’t even include car accidents where no fatalities occurred.
What Causes a Car Accident?
Car accidents are caused by a lot of things, like distracted driving, driving under the influence, speeding, and more. Car accidents can also be caused by reckless driving, poor weather conditions, driver fatigue, street and highway defects, or car manufacturing defects.
Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of car accidents, and there are many campaigns in attempt to get people to stop texting and driving. Texting while driving may seem harmless, but it only takes a few seconds for something to go wrong. Drunk driving is another leading cause of accidents and can have major repercussions.
Street and highway defects, as well as car manufacturing defects, are a tricky cause to determine and can lead to an even trickier court case against the manufacturers. However, while these accidents are less common, they do still happen.
Common Fatal Car Accident Injuries
Car accidents don’t always end in death, but the ones that do end up killing the driver, passenger, or bystander, often involve specific injuries. In many cases, these are head and brain injuries, neck injuries, chest trauma, or spine injuries. Skull fractures and brain injuries can be immediately fatal if they’re bad enough.
Depending on the impact to the car, many injuries can range from small to fatal. A spinal cord break or a serious burn could also result in a delayed fatality. Not all fatalities (or injuries for that matter) occur immediately at the scene of the accident; some occur days or weeks later in a hospital.
Types of Wrongful Death Car Accidents
Wrongful death claims are brought against a defendant who has caused someone’s death. This can either be through negligence or as the result of an intentional action. When it comes to car accidents, these are generally through negligence, like distraction or being under the influence.
Individual Drivers
Wrongful death car accidents that include individual drivers are your typical car accident. These accidents occur when another driver acts with negligence and causes the death of the driver or passengers in another car, or even the passengers of their own car.
Commercial Drivers
Truck drivers, bus drivers, taxi cab drivers, and other commercial drivers can also get into these types of accidents. If they’re at fault, they may be held personally liable after a fatal car accident, but the trucking companies or employers may also be at fault depending on the circumstances.
Employers
If a truck driver is acting within the scope of employment and gets into a car accident, the employer may be liable for the damages associated with the accident. In this case, this would depend on how exactly the accident occurred and what the driver was doing.
Ridesharing Drivers
Ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft pose an interesting question here, as their insurance companies tend to only want to claim liability if the driver has a paying customer in the car. These companies have been held liable in the past, it just depends on the scope of the accident.
Investigating a Wrongful Death
When a wrongful death has occurred, you will be asked for information surrounding the case. Your attorney will want to know how the accident occurred and any other information you may know. If you collected any statements, took any pictures, or filed a police report, you’ll want to bring that documentation with you.
Depending on the circumstances of the particular accident, your lawyer may investigate certain situations that occurred before the accident. If your loved one was killed in a drunk driving accident, your attorney may investigate what else happened that night in order to place blame accordingly. If the accident occurred because of a tire blowout, they may investigate the manufacturer of the tire, the installation, and the seller of the tires.
When Should You Contact a Wrongful Death Lawyer?
Because a wrongful death case requires a certain level of investigation, it’s best to hire an experienced attorney to take on your case for you. You’ll want to hire someone who has handled these types of cases in the past and knows what they’re doing. Thankfully, our attorneys at Sand Law have the expertise that you’re looking for.
If someone you love has been killed in a wrongful death car accident, please contact our experienced attorneys so we can help you get the compensation and justice that you deserve. You can contact us online or by phone at 651-291-7263 for a free case evaluation or more information.
Sand Law, LLC