Driving has become one of those tasks that is akin to brushing your teeth or doing laundry. Everyone knows how to do it, and the mundane nature of the task means you usually do it on autopilot. But with driving, the monotony of the task can be deadly. Driving is a dangerous action in and of itself, and it becomes even more dangerous when the driver isn’t paying attention, or is fatigued, or is in an altered mental state making it more difficult to safely operate a vehicle.
As with all dangerous activities, car accidents can turn fatal. Thousands of people die every year because of car accidents, and their families are left shattered and broken in the aftermath. This is where some will turn to a wrongful death lawsuit to earn some semblance of justice for the accident, while also protecting themselves and their loved ones from the financial impact of losing a family member.
Wrongful death lawsuits can be tricky, and every state has their own set of standards for such a lawsuit. However, there are a few factors that are generally accepted across the spectrum on wrongful death lawsuits:
- A driver must have caused an accident which caused the death of another person
- The driver must be deemed at fault (either by negligence, recklessness, or some other dangerous action) for the wreck
- The deceased victim must be survived by a spouse, child, or other dependent or beneficiary
- Monetary damages must have resulted from the passing of the victim
Source: FindLaw, “Wrongful Death in a Car Accident,” Accessed Oct. 3, 2017
