Drivers are used to sitting in traffic jams if a bad accident causes a road closure. However, most people who are sitting in traffic do not expect to get involved in car accidents themselves. Unfortunately, that’s what happened recently on the Pennsylvania Turnpike as holiday travelers were sitting in a traffic jam after a tractor-trailer crash and found themselves involved in a multiple-car wreck that killed one woman. As investigators piece together how the crash occurred, the decedent’s family may have grounds for a wrongful death suit.

The accident happened as a man in an SUV struck the victim’s car near the Lehigh Tunnel. This set off a chain reaction crash that affected several vehicles and caused some car fires. Other drivers stuck in the traffic jam attempted to rescue the victim, but flames engulfed her vehicle and her doors were blocked by other cars.

A law enforcement officer from another state was also involved in the car accident, and he was able to free several people who were trapped. The victim died at the scene. The driver who caused the crash sustained minor injuries.

Authorities believe it will take some time to complete their investigation, and it remains to be seen whether the SUV driver will face any charges. However, family members of the decedent may decide to pursue a wrongful death claim against him. In Pennsylvania, a wrongful death suit may help close family members recover financial losses resulting from an accident, such as medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, lost income and damages. Successfully litigating a wrongful death suit can provide a sense of closure and justice to a bereaved family as they try to come to terms with their loss.

Source: The Morning Call, “Driver in fatal crash Pennsylvania Turnpike crash is identified,” Keith Amerman, Dec. 23, 2012