Infant Dies in Sacramento Multiple Vehicle Collision
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento wrongful death lawyer. A multiple-vehicle collision resulted in the death of an infant in West Sacramento on Saturday, June 2, near the California Highway Patrol Academy. First responders attempted CPR on the 1-year-old, however, those efforts were futile. The accident, which occurred along Interstate 80 near the exit for Reed Avenue, happened in the afternoon hours. My heartfelt sympathy goes to the family and their friends for this tragic loss and in their time of great sorrow.
Drunk Driving May Have Been a Factor in the Crash
According to reports, the influence of alcohol or drugs has not yet been ruled out as a contributing factor in the accident. However, no further information has yet been released by officials with the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
Wrongful Death of a Child
The loss of a child is devastating to parents. It is worse if the accident was caused by a reckless driver without regard for the safety of others on the road. A wrongful death claim can recover the end of life costs as well as the loss of companionship the child would have provided.
Damages That Can Be Recovered in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
The damages that can be recovered in a wrongful death lawsuit are those that involve medical costs such as ambulance fees as well as the expense of funeral and burial costs. If the deceased was treated before dying, these costs can also be reclaimed. In addition, the parents can cite the loss of their relationship with their child, both now and in the future, as well as the profound grief they are experiencing.
Survival Actions
In some cases, the child might not succumb to their injuries immediately. In this case, the personal injury inflicted upon the child survives the child. The parents are able to file a survival action against the reckless, negligent driver. This includes the pain and fear the child might have experienced.
Your lawyer will review all notes from paramedics called to the scene as well as any written in the emergency room. While nothing can replace the love and joy of a child, making the negligent party responsible is important. However, when a child is involved, parents want to also pursue justice against a negligent driver. Punitive actions can be introduced in a survival claim brought on behalf of the child by their family. In this manner, a survival lawsuit is one way of ensuring that such behavior will be prevented in the future.
Drunk Driving Takes Lives
In 2016, over 10,000 people died at the hands of a drunk driver. This is close to 30 percent of all traffic accidents. Of these, 1,223 children between the ages of 0 to 14 years died due to a drunk driver. Not all drunk drivers are apprehended. Of the 111 million drivers who said they drove drunk, only 1 percent were arrested. Impairment can also be due to prescription and OTC drugs as well as illegal ones. Today, drugs account for 16 percent of accidents where a driver is impaired.
Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento wrongful death lawyer. Losing a family member in a motor vehicle accident is always tragic but even more so when an infant or small child is involved. If a negligent driver caused your loss, I can offer you compassionate and friendly advice, free of charge. Please give me a call at (916) 921-6400, or use my toll-free number at (800) 404-5400.
Some of my former clients and peers have been kind enough to leave comments about my law firm at the following sites:
As a California Million Dollar Advocates member, I join other trial lawyers with a proven record of obtaining verdicts or settlements that exceeded one million dollars or more for a former client.
To look over some of our prior cases and how they concluded, please visit Settlements and Verdicts on my website.
For more than 36 years, I have worked hard to obtain the best compensation possible for those who have suffered harm in many types of car accidents and with catastrophic injuries.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/death-funeral-coffin-mourning-2421821/
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