Car crashes are the cost that society broadly accepts for the convenience of individual transportation. Maddeningly though, all it takes is a momentary lapse in judgment or a sudden medical event for a motorist to cause a crash that could have life-altering consequences for them and/or for a total stranger.
The worst potential outcome of a collision is that someone dies. Crashes that occur at high speeds or between two vehicles of substantially different sizes are often the collisions that result in the worst outcomes. Generally speaking, although everyone accepts the risk involved with driving, those who cause crashes are ultimately the ones responsible for the losses inspired by a collision. Despite requirements for insurance on all vehicles, situations where someone dies because of a crash often lead to civil litigation.
Insurance isn’t enough
Unless the driver of the vehicle who caused a crash had a very large insurance policy, their coverage might not be nearly enough to compensate surviving family members for a lifetime of grief, years of lost wages and major medical bills. Many drivers in Alabama only invest in the insurance the state requires, which means their coverage will pay for $25,000 worth of injury-related losses in many cases. Especially the person who died had extensive medical treatment before their passing or was the primary wage earner for the family, insurance won’t be enough to cover the family’s losses.
People need a sense of closure
Sometimes, Alabama state prosecutors can bring charges against drunk drivers or those who do something very unsafe on the road and cause another person’s death. However, many fatal crashes do not meet the necessary standards for prosecution. For families to have a sense of closure and justice, their best option may be to take the matter to civil court and establish that someone else caused their loss through negligence or illegal behavior. A ruling by the civil courts that affirms that the other party was responsible for the tragedy can help families move on from their grief.
Recognizing the common reasons that surviving loved ones choose to pursue wrongful death lawsuits in Alabama might help people better address the lasting consequences of a fatal crash in the event that one ever affects their family.