You answer the door and a police officer tells you that you need to get to the hospital right away. Your spouse was hit in a two-vehicle accident. Despite the medical team’s best efforts, your spouse passes away.
The funeral does not mean the end of your grief or struggle to hold the other driver responsible. You may have learned that the other driver was at fault for the accident.
Your spouse’s death may be called “wrongful death”
At times, you may feel like the surprises and shocks just keep coming, without interruption. The police officer who responded to your spouse’s fatal accident calls you to see if they can speak with you. When you sit down with them, you learn that the accident involving your spouse was the other driver’s fault.
You have lost your spouse. In addition, you have lost much more than your spouse. Their companionship and love are now gone. The police officer reassures you that your spouse was not at fault.
Drivers and pedestrians expect to be safe on the road
When your spouse left your home to go to work, they may have expected to arrive safely. Instead, the driver who hit them may have run a red light. Or they may have been driving recklessly. The end result is that your spouse is now gone.
When one driver causes an accident by speeding, running traffic signals or driving recklessly, they are putting other drivers at risk. If the driver hits and kills another driver, that person’s death is a “wrongful death.”
You and your family can file a lawsuit against the other driver
If you choose to file a wrongful death lawsuit, you may win damages. Nothing can being your spouse back but your suffering in other ways can be mitigated. You may be able to receive compensation for the loss of your spouse’s support, loss of their companionship, and for their medical and funeral expenses.
