Driver Faces Multiple Charges in Franklin Boulevard Fatal Hit-and-Run
A pedestrian death caused by a hit-and-run driver in South Sacramento on March 25 ended with the arrest of the motorist about an hour later. The accident was reported by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) around 2:00 in the morning along Franklin Boulevard northbound, close to Turnbridge Drive. According to the police report, a Ford SUV exited its lane and hit a man who was walking in the bicycle lane and then fled the scene.
Driver Quickly Located Following Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Death
Injuries to the unidentified pedestrian proved fatal. During the accident, the vehicle’s front license plate was left at the scene, which helped authorities locate the offender. The vehicle that struck the pedestrian was found around an hour later on Highway 99 northbound, close to 12th Avenue. The identity of the deceased has not been released pending the notification of the family.
Hit-and-Run Driver Faces Multiple Charges
The driver was identified as a Sacramento man, age 28, and he was placed under arrest by the officers on suspicion of hit-and-run, gross vehicular manslaughter, driving with a suspended license, and being intoxicated. It was determined by authorities that the driver had been using both drugs and alcohol at the time of the collision.
Placing a Wrongful Death Claim
Families who lose a loved one due to a negligent person or other entity may be entitled to place a claim for wrongful death. Although this is not an idea that occurs to them when they are filled with grief and shock after a loved one dies, it often becomes apparent later that they may face a high financial loss because of the untimely death. If the decedent was a family breadwinner, they face that loss of income and pension benefits as well as the cost of a funeral and burial, which have become quite expensive.
In addition, family members are not only grieving the loss but shocked and angry that someone could take their loved one away by their negligent actions. That can make it difficult to find closure and a sense of peace. Filing a claim for wrongful death can help family members obtain a sense of justice.
Who Can File a Claim After a Pedestrian Death?
Immediate members of the family are eligible to place a wrongful death claim following a pedestrian death. This includes:
- The spouse or putative spouse
- Children of the family, including those who were adopted
- Stepchildren if the decedent provided half their support, and they had been living in the home for at least six months
- Grandchildren of a deceased child of the decedent
- Parents if they obtained half their support from the deceased person
What Can Be Recovered Through a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Damages can be recovered that the decedent would have provided had he or she lived. They include:
- Job earnings, pension, and medical benefits, and other perks of a job until the age the decedent would have reached full retirement
- Burial and funeral costs
- Loss of inheritance
- Loss of consortium and the love and emotional support the decedent would have provided
- Loss of guidance and nurturing for the family’s children
- Loss of household help the decedent normally provided, such as lawn mowing, childcare, paying bills, etc.
- Punitive damages are allowed in some cases where the death was intentional or egregious such as one caused by a drunk driver, which is often much higher than the initial award
Wrongful Death Lawyer in Sacramento
I am Ed Smith, and I am a wrongful death lawyer in Sacramento. If you lost your loved one because of a negligent driver, I can offer your family free, friendly advice about your eligibility for compensation. You can contact me at (916) 921-6400 or at (800) 404-5400. I can be contacted online also.
My law office has helped the residents of Northern California since 1982 to get fair compensation for their traffic accident injuries, claims involving wrongful deaths, and others.
More information about my law firm is located below:
I’m honored to belong to Top 1 Percent and Million Dollar Advocates.
Attributed photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/candle-light-candlelight-flame-2038736/
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