Watt Avenue and El Camino Avenue Location of Pedestrian Fatality
A pedestrian fatality was reported in Sacramento on December 2 after a collision involving a motor vehicle. The pedestrian accident was reported along northbound Watt Avenue at El Camino Avenue in the Arden-Arcade area around 5:39 p.m. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) report said that all three lanes of northbound Watt just north of El Camino were closed down while an investigation into the cause of the accident was conducted.
Driver in Pedestrian Fatality Accident Remains at Scene
The pedestrian was declared dead a short time after the accident happened by the Sacramento County Coroner. The driver of the vehicle that struck the walker remained at the scene and was cooperating with the investigation. The name of the deceased has not yet been released pending notification of the pedestrian’s family.
Pedestrian Fatality Numbers Rise
The number of pedestrian deaths has risen in the last decade to reach a 60-percent increase since 2009. The number of pedestrian fatalities was approximately 6,590 in 2019. In contrast to this, the increase in other types of traffic accident-related deaths during this period only increased by 2 percent.
Also, nearly 140,000 pedestrians are injured in traffic accidents. Why the increase? The reasons for an increased number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries are:
- More people are walking to work and for fitness purposes, leading to a higher number of deaths and injuries.
- There are more cars on the road.
- Distracted driving is common among motorists and accounts for many pedestrian deaths.
- Drinking and driving are frequently related to a pedestrian fatality.
- Many drivers are switching from sedans to light trucks and large SUVs, which makes it harder to see a pedestrian on the road.
- Crosswalks are often in disrepair with poor lighting making it harder for a pedestrian to be seen.
- Too few crosswalks are placed in busy pedestrian areas.
- Speeding by motor vehicle operators puts pedestrians at extreme risk for a fatality. As the vehicle’s speed increases, the likelihood the driver can stop in time is decreased. The impact suffered by the pedestrian is also greater as the velocity of the motor vehicle increases.
Loss of a Loved One in a Pedestrian Fatality
For families across the area, the loss of a loved one and the grief they feel due to a pedestrian fatality is devastating. Not only is the individual’s death unexpected but it also makes it harder for the family financially. While the family’s focus is on their loved one’s death, they might also be facing high funeral and burial costs and the loss of the decedent’s support for household bills.
How Can a Wrongful Death Lawsuit Help?
As we said above, wrongful deaths are often due to a negligent action. If this happens, the family has the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault driver. Some of the expenses covered by a wrongful death lawsuit are:
- Funeral and burial expenses: The cost of end-of-life expenses has skyrocketed in the past several years. For many families facing the costs without the assistance of the deceased’s support, it is hard to give their loved one a proper burial.
- Loss of the decedent’s support: With the loved one’s demise, many families find it hard to pay normal household bills such as a mortgage.
- Loss of household service: Many chores were routinely done by the decedent. This might include mowing the lawn, cooking meals, or helping children with their studies, or taking them back and forth to school.
- Loss of income: If the decedent was the main source of income, the family may face spiraling costs without having the revenue to pay for them. Not only is the decedent’s wages curtailed, but such items as bonuses and other sources of income are gone. Your attorney will calculate both present income and that which would have existed in the future if the loved one had not died. The attorney will also determine the income based on raises the decedent might have earned and other future parameters.
- Loss of inheritance: When sudden death occurs, some family members might be denied the inheritance the loved one had planned to give them.
Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Your Sacramento wrongful death attorney will help a family determine whether they wish to file a wrongful death lawsuit. He or she will discuss the case with them and offer the insight only an injury attorney can provide. In the following video, Attorney Ed Smith explains more about a wrongful death claim:
Wrongful Death Lawyer in Sacramento
My name is Ed Smith, and I am a wrongful death lawyer in Sacramento. You are welcome to contact me for my free and friendly advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. I can be reached online also by sending me a message.
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My law office has helped many Sacramentans get fair compensation for their traffic accidents, wrongful deaths, traumatic injuries, and government claims for the past 38 years.
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Photo Attribution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9-lg0clbRM; https://pixabay.com/photos/candle-light-candlelight-flame-2038736/
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