When Nebraska residents hear the words “fatal accident victims,” they often picture situations in which an unsuspecting driver falls victim to another driver who happened to be operating his or her vehicle in a reckless manner. A scenario that people often fail to picture is one in which a passenger is killed in a fatal accident because of the actions of the driver of the vehicle in which he or she is riding. Even though this scenario is less common, it is no less devastating to the family members who are left to grieve their loss.
This is what occurred during a two-vehicle accident that happened several months ago. Reportedly, the initial action that caused the accident was one driver failing to heed a stop sign. He apparently drove through the stop sign and into the path of a second vehicle.
A collision between the two vehicles ensued, and, during the crash, a passenger in the car that ran the stop sign was fatally injured. After an investigation by Nebraska authorities, it was determined that the driver who failed to stop was at fault. He has since been convicted of motor vehicle homicide and sentenced to jail for 180 days.
An incident such as this one is a clear reminder that passengers can become fatal accident victims in the blink of eye. The death of someone in an accident has serious effects on his or her loved ones, and those effects often include a sudden loss of income, large medical and burial expenses, and pain and suffering. Therefore, the family members of passengers who were killed in car accidents may choose to sue the negligent parties by filing civil claims. Monies from civil suits of this kind are awarded as compensation for the physical, financial and emotional damages related to the crash.
Source: omaha.com, “Battle Creek, Nebraska, man gets 180 days in jail in crash that killed passenger“, Feb. 12, 2015