2 dead following fatal car accident in California
Losing a family member to a California vehicle accident can naturally be devastating. Finding out that the accident resulted from another person’s drunken driving, however, may cause the surviving loved ones to be downright outraged due to the preventable nature of this type of car accident. In this case, the family may choose to seek civil court claims for monetary damages with the help of a car accident attorney, which may help bring closure to this type of tragedy.
A recent single-car crash on Interstate 8 involved three individuals. The accident happened when the driver swerved to avoid hitting a divider in the road and lost control of the vehicle. That’s when the automobile struck a fence and went down an embankment. He then struck a concrete drain that lets water flow under a road.
The two passengers inside the vehicle ended up dying in the collision. One was sitting in the back seat, while the other was a front-seat passenger. Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle suffered injuries and was taken to the hospital; his injuries were not critical. After he is released from the hospital, he may face criminal murder charges, according to police. This is because the man was allegedly found to have been using drugs and drinking before the accident occurred.
In addition to possibly facing criminal charges, the man could also potentially face wrongful death claims filed by the family members of both dead passengers. The family of each individual has a right to seek financial damages to cover funeral expenses and other costs related to the fatal car accident. If the driver is found guilty of any charges filed against him, this might form the basis for a finding of financial liability in a civil courtroom in California.
Source: Previously published article on cbs8.com, “Driver may face murder charges in deadly crash”, April 19, 2014