Police in New Jersey are investigating the cause of a recent wreck that left one man dead and another man injured. Sadly, car accidents that have such outcomes are fairly common. If this event was the result of negligent actions, the surviving victim and possibly the family members of the deceased may have legal recourse.
According to reports, just before 6 a.m. on June 15, a Honda Accord and a Honda CR-V collided in the southbound lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike. It is still unclear how this incident happened, but the force of impact sent the sedan into a guardrail. The driver of the Accord — a 22-year-old male — died from the injuries he suffered, while his passenger — also a 22-year-old male — suffered serious injuries and was transported to a medical facility. His current condition is unknown.
The driver of the CR-V is an 80-year-old man from out of state. This individual and a passenger in his car were both unharmed in the wreck. Police are still trying to determine the role this driver played in the crash. As of the latest report, no criminal charges have been filed in this case.
Serious car accidents, like this one, that result in fatality and/or severe injury leave surviving family members and those injured hurting in a variety of ways. This is not an event that they will likely recover from quickly. If, after a full investigation, it is determined that the driver of the CR-V is responsible for the collision, both the decedent’s family members and the surviving victim may seek compensation for their losses by filing civil claims against this driver in court. If it turns out that the driver of the Accord was responsible, however, only the injured victim may seek relief by filing claims against the estate of the deceased. In either case, negligence will have to be established in a New Jersey civil court in order for any sort of compensation to be achieved.
Source: nj.com, “Driver, 22, killed, passenger seriously injured in NJ Turnpike crash“, Luke Nozicka, June 15, 2017