In the case of vehicular accidents, the injuries suffered by passengers can range from the very minor to the extremely serious. Unfortunately, sometimes vehicular accidents end tragically in deaths as well. When drunk driving accidents occur in New Jersey, this is, unfortunately, all too often the case.
Such is the case in an accident that took place in Wall Township on the Garden State Parkway in the early morning hours of Nov. 24, 2013. According to the investigation, a 26-year-old man was allegedly drinking and gambling with friends before he headed home around 5:45 a.m. in a car with one of his friends as his passenger. The man was allegedly speeding in a construction zone when he apparently lost control of the vehicle.
The car went off the road and crashed in a wooded area that lay between the southbound and northbound lanes. The man’s passenger, a 22-year-old woman, was ejected from the vehicle. She was rushed to a local medical center, where she succumbed to her injuries. The man claimed that he had been the passenger, but, according to the authorities’ investigation, this was found not to be the case, and he is now facing a series of charges, including vehicular homicide and DWI.
When individuals in New Jersey die in drunk driving accidents due to another party’s negligence, their loved ones may be entitled to file wrongful death claims. Successfully navigated, this type of claim may result in financial compensation being awarded to the decedent’s family members as restitution for medical costs, funeral arrangements, as well as other end of life expenses incurred as a result of the accident. These individuals typically consult an experienced personal injury attorney to assess their situations and assist them in litigation.
Source: app.com, “Man charged in alleged drunk driving crash that killed companion“, Kathleen Hopkins, Sept. 15, 2015