Two people lost their lives after suffering fatal injuries in an upstate New York crash on a recent Friday. Such circumstances often lead to wrongful death lawsuits in which negligence must be proved. In this case, the ongoing investigation might determine which driver was at fault.
According to a preliminary crash report, a 17-year-old driver headed south on an Oneida County road at a high rate of speed. Shortly after 3:15 p.m., this driver noticed an eastbound pickup truck pulling into his path after stopping at a stop sign. Due to the speed at which the car traveled, the driver was unable to avoid crashing into the side of the pickup truck.
The impact caused the truck to roll over and land on its roof. The 42-year-old pickup truck driver died at the crash scene, and a 19-year-old passenger in the car suffered critical injuries. He was airlifted to a hospital in Syracuse, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The 17-tear-old driver of the car was rushed to a hospital for treatment of critical injuries.
Losing a loved one in a preventable crash is naturally traumatizing for the surviving family members. Although money cannot replace a life, seeking damage recovery through the civil justice system could ease the unanticipated financial burden. However, proving negligence on the part of the car or the pickup truck driver — or both — will be necessary. This is a complicated field of the law, and the sensible step would be to utilize the skills of a New York attorney with experience in dealing with wrongful death lawsuits.