A recent two-vehicle accident in Pennsylvania has claimed the life of one young person and caused injury to three others. The fatal accident took place on Interstate 376 as the driver of a vehicle traveling in the left westbound lane attempted to move into the right lane. As this action was completed, the vehicle struck the bumper of another vehicle, which was also traveling westbound. The force of the collision caused the second vehicle to strike a guardrail, rollover and strike a tree down an embankment.
The individual who died in the accident was identified as a 25-year-old college student. She was reportedly starting her nursing clinicals in the fall. She was a passenger in the vehicle that rolled over. Both drivers were injured in the accident and were transported to a local hospital. Their conditions have not been released.
Two children were also in the vehicle that rolled over. The children, a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old, were said to have sustained non-life threatening injuries. . Their relationship to those in the vehicle with them was not released. So far, authorities believe that the driver that struck the second vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the collision. Authorities have not released any additional information about the exact cause of the crash, or whether charges will be filed.
In Pennsylvania, the family of anyone injured in a fatal accident that was caused by the negligence of another person may be entitled to seek damages against that person for their loss. In this case, the early evidence suggests that the driver of the car that struck the rolled over vehicle was speeding and improperly completed a lane change. These factors may be considered against him as the family of the young woman who was killed considers their options for wrongful death claims. Successfully litigated wrongful death claims can provide the family of the victim with compensation for pain and suffering, funeral expenses, lost wages and other expenses incurred due to losing a loved one. Similar to wrongful death claims, personal injury claims may be an option for the injured victims to compensate them for their accident-related expenses and losses.
Source: pittsburgh.cbslocal.com, “1 Dead, 3 Injured In Beaver Co. Crash,” Heather Abraham, June 5, 2013