Accident on Interstate 5 Involves Deadly Rollover
A rollover accident on January 3, 2021, took the life of at least one person in Zamora in Yolo County. Few details were released by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), however, the accident occurred near Woodland along northbound Interstate 5. All of the lanes along Interstate 5 northbound were closed because of the rollover accident. The CHP is investigating to determine how it occurred and to place fault.
Losing a Loved One in an Accident
Many families think that it will never happen to them. Unfortunately, statistics say otherwise. It is hard enough to lose someone you love due to natural causes or even disease that allows you to prepare for their death. Suddenly hearing that a loved one is dead due to another’s negligence is a tragedy from which many families find it hard to recover. The emotional toll the person’s death takes can be overwhelming. However, there are other concerns that must be addressed such as the financial harm a death in the family can cause, especially if the decedent was the main provider.
That is where our firm can help. We know that filing a wrongful death suit is probably the furthest thing from your mind, and we’re aware that it will never bring you the love and peace that you had with your loved one. Nonetheless, it will give you room to adjust to this new reality and make your way forward, something your loved one would have wanted. Let’s take a quick look at what a wrongful death lawsuit can do.
How a Wrongful Death Claim Can Help After a Loved One’s Death
Financially, the loss of a loved one can be a terrible blow to family members as they struggle to pay household bills and funeral and burial costs. In California, survivors can file a wrongful death lawsuit if their family member was killed due to negligence in an accident such as a rollover. The law allows spouses, domestic partners, children, a child’s children if they are deceased, stepchildren, and parents to file. Some of the areas that are compensated are:
- Loss of the decedent’s wages, bonuses, and retirement plans now and in the future
- Loss of the love and guidance the decedent provided to family members
- Compensation for payment to others for household tasks the decedent once did
- Loss of consortium for a spouse
- Loss of inheritance to children
Rollover Accidents
A rollover accident is often violent and deadly. There are multiple ways that a fatality can happen in a rollover accident. Some of the more common ones are listed below:
- The occupants of the vehicle can be ejected due to faulty restraints or because they did not wear a seat belt.
- Faulty design of the rollover vehicle can cause increased injuries and fatalities. Because of this, it is important that the rollover vehicle be preserved so that engineers can examine it for manufacturing defects before it is destroyed.
- Sometimes the structure of the vehicle does not follow federal standards for roof strength. The lack of infrastructure to support the roof in such cases can allow the vehicle to descend onto the occupants, causing head and neck injuries and fatalities. This failure by the manufacturer can be part of a product liability/wrongful death lawsuit.
- Government entities may be responsible for a rollover accident because of defective guardrails, inadequate road shoulder design or obstacles in the roadway. This empowers the family to hold the city or state agency in charge of roads liable for their loved one’s death.
- When a vehicle is struck by another car or truck broadside or at high speed, it increases the risk of a rollover.
Zamora Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Zamora car accident lawyer. When a family is grieving the loss of a loved one, they need the help an experienced injury attorney can provide. Call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. You can also reach out to me online if that is more convenient.
I’ve helped numerous Northern Californians obtain the damages they and their families deserve in car accidents, wrongful deaths, and traumatic injuries.
I am proud to be a member of the following organizations, among others:
Learn more about my firm by clicking on the links below:
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/candle-light-candlelight-flame-2038736/; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9-lg0clbRM
:cd llo [cs 732] eas:bw