When family members lose a loved one due to the actions of a drunk driver, they may wish to learn more about their legal options. In many cases, family members may be able to file a wrongful death claim in order to seek compensation for the monetary and emotional losses they experienced after a loved one’s sudden death due to a car accident. By gathering more information on such options, they may be able to determine whether filing a claim could be right for them.
A family in Illinois may be considering such an option after a recent car accident. Reports indicated that a 42-year-old woman was driving a vehicle around 2:30 a.m. when the vehicle hit multiple parked cars. The collisions caused the vehicle to overturn, and a 45-year-old male passenger in the vehicle became trapped underneath.
The male passenger died as a result of injuries he suffered in the crash. The driver was also considered to be in serious condition. Due to the details of the accident, the driver is currently facing charges for aggravated DUI and other traffic violations. Authorities will likely continue to investigate the incident.
Because the Illinois car accident led to the death of an individual, the victim’s family may feel that a wrongful death claim could be the right course of action. This type of claim could be filed against the driver of the vehicle, and, since criminal charges were also leveled against that individual, the family may be interested in the outcome of the criminal proceedings. If the driver is convicted of DUI, the chances of success for a civil claim could increase.
Source: Evanston, IL Patch, “Evanston Woman Charged in Fatal Vehicle Crash“, Tim Moran, Sept. 29, 2015