Getting into the car with any driver is a decision that must be carefully considered. This is frequently underscored by news reports of crashes caused by impaired drivers who leave their passengers critically injured or dead while the drivers often walk away unscathed. Many such accidents lead to wrongful death lawsuits filed in the civil courts of New York.
According to a police report in Suffolk County, a 45-year-old man from Hauppauge was arrested on a recent Monday after an accident that occurred in the early morning hours. Reportedly, the driver smashed into an unoccupied parked car shortly after 3 a.m. The crash caused severe injuries to the 40-year-old passenger who was in his vehicle.
The passenger was rushed to an area hospital, but he had succumbed to his injuries, and he was pronounced dead at the medical facility. Police reported that the driver was uninjured, and they had reason to believe that he was under the influence of alcohol. He is now facing drunk driving and reckless endangerment charges.
Whenever a loved one dies in a crash that resulted from another party’s negligence, the surviving family members can pursue financial relief through the New York civil justice system. This also applies to cases in which the deceased person was a passenger in the vehicle of the negligent driver. An experienced personal injury attorney can assist with establishing negligence, which will be required when he or she presents the wrongful death lawsuit in the court. The judge might enter a monetary judgment to cover documented claims for end-of-life expenses, lost income, and other economic and noneconomic damages.
