Man Killed After Manteca Truck Accident
A man was killed, and two others suffered injuries after a truck accident near Manteca, CA on the morning of February 25, 2020. The crash occurred at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Highway 120 and French Camp Road, just east of Manteca. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the initial collision involved a big rig and a Chevrolet SUV. The impact propelled the Chevrolet into a Hyundai sedan, which was traveling westbound behind it, investigators said. Caltrans reported at least one of the vehicles involved in the accident caught fire. The truck driver, identified as a 29-year-old man, was uninjured in the crash. A 7-year-old boy and a 21-year-old woman in the Hyundai were both injured and transported to an area hospital for treatment. Sadly, the 60-year-old man driving the Chevrolet SUV passed away at the scene. His identity has been withheld until his family has been notified.
Loss of a Loved One
When a loved one is lost to a fatal truck accident, it is challenging to move forward without them by your side. This presents new responsibilities and lifestyle changes as well as grief and financial distress. In your time of loss, you must do what is best for you and your family. However, that can be challenging to do knowing that someone else’s negligence resulted in your loved one’s unexpected death. California law recognizes this and provides families with the right to hold parties financially responsible for their negligent acts. A compassionate and experienced wrongful death lawyer from Manteca can help you and your family seek justice and fair compensation on behalf of your loved one during this difficult time.
How Does a Wrongful Death Settlement Work?
Wrongful death occurs as a result of a life cut short beyond what would have been naturally expected. Unlike criminal cases, wrongful death claims are intended to compensate surviving family members of the decedent with compensation for their emotional and financial losses. These include:
- End of life medical care is recoverable through a survival action
- Emotional distress and mental anguish caused by the wrongful death truck accident
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Loss of a loved one’s protection, companionship, and care
- Loss of parental guidance and instruction for surviving children
- Punitive damages may be available in appropriate cases to punish the trucker or trucking company for their egregious misconduct. This serves to deter similar negligence from others in the future (e.g., driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and excessive speeding)
- The reasonable and expected value of lost financial support, benefits, and services the decedent would have provided to the family if not for the fatal semi-truck crash
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit After a Manteca Fatal Truck Accident?
In California, damages through a wrongful death suit are awarded to the decedent’s beneficiaries. This generally includes a spouse, domestic partner, or child who has survived the deceased. Others may have the right to recover compensation for a loved one’s wrongful death. Under the California Code of Civil Procedure Section 377.60, a surviving parent, stepchild, putative spouse, or child of a putative spouse are eligible to bring a claim, only if the parties mentioned above are nonexistent. To learn more, watch the video below.
How Can a Lawyer Help Our Family?
Trucking companies are generally insured through commercial policies. These serve to protect the company from liability for personal injury or wrongful death claims resulting from driver negligence. These commercial insurance policies are often in the seven-figure range, making the stakes high for the insurer. Such financial exposure causes insurance companies to protect their bottom line by disputing every aspect of a claim to pay as little as possible. This is why you and your family need an experienced Manteca truck accident lawyer on your side to ensure your best interests and right to fair compensation are protected.
Truck Accident Lawyer in Manteca
I’m Ed Smith, a Manteca truck accident lawyer. The loss of a loved one can have overwhelming consequences for the family they leave behind. If the decedent was the primary provider of their family, surviving family members not only have to deal with the mental anguish of their loved one’s wrongful death but also the financial hardship that follows. A wrongful death claim is designed to compensate families for their loved one’s death that could and should have been prevented altogether. If you believe your loved one was taken away from you due to the negligence of a trucker or trucking company, please call me at (209) 227-1931 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400 for compassionate, free, and friendly advice.
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