A person can encounter many dangers when driving. Acts of nature, other drivers or self-induced distractions sometimes result in car accidents where there is significant damage to vehicles and substantial bodily injury. Car accidents do not have to involve multiple vehicles to be catastrophic. A Colorado man was recently killed in a one-vehicle crash.
Although it was the middle of the afternoon, police say the 21-year-old driver fell asleep while she was driving on a state highway. The Ford Bronco she and her older male passenger were in left the road and went down an embankment. The passenger, who was riding in the back seat, was ejected after the SUV rolled over several times.
Emergency personnel responding to the scene were unable to resuscitate the man and declared him dead. The driver was taken to an area hospital and treated for minor injuries. After speaking to her, police determined neither occupant was wearing a seatbelt. A report on the incident did not specify whether charges were pending against the driver.
The family of the deceased may choose to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver. Although the accident was not intentional, she may still be held liable for the death of her passenger. An award can be based on wages that would have been earned had the family member lived, the loss of companionship and expenses related to funeral and burial, among other permissible damages. An attorney who is familiar with the laws in Colorado concerning serious car accidents will attempt to help take some of the burden off grieving family members when working to recover a fair compensation amount for them.
Source: craigdailypress.com, “Craig man killed in vehicle crash near Kremmling“, March 14, 2017