A grieving widow and her family have filed a lawsuit after losing both her husband and her sister-in-law in a horrific Pennsylvania car crash last year. The wrongful death lawsuit names the driver involved and the driver’s employer. She is seeking an unknown amount of damages.

The woman’s family members were killed when the car the victims were in was struck by an airborne dump truck. She alleges the dump-truck driver involved was high on drugs when the accident occurred. The widow filed the lawsuit after their questions went unanswered and no charges were filed against the operator of the dump truck. The family began to consider the circumstances surrounding the accident and, after asking questions, began to feel as if they were being stone-walled by the authorities.

The family was told that toxicology tests showed the man tested positive for both marijuana and synthetic marijuana, and the driver allegedly admitted to using synthetic marijuana prior to the crash. They were also told charges against the driver could be filed as soon as police determined what the charges should be. However, there have been no citations issued and no criminal charges filed in the more than nine months since the accident occurred. The lawsuit also asserts the driver’s employer was aware of the man’s criminal and reckless driving history but still allowed him to use a company vehicle.

The Pennsylvania family hopes the wrongful death lawsuit will shed light on the criminal investigation of this case as well as the dangers of using synthetic marijuana. They want answers and seek to hold the driver and the company accountable for negligence in the loss of their loved one. Filing a wrongful death suit won’t bring family members back, but a successful claim may provide some solace and justice for the people any parties found liable have wronged.

Source: democratandchronicle.com, “Lawsuit: Twins killed by driver high on synthetic marijuana,” Jon Hand, July 25, 2012