After a student in attendance at the University of Alabama died in a vehicle crash following a sporting event, her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit that targeted the other parties who allegedly caused the wreck. The deceased student, a 20-year-old from Roswell, Georgia, was severely injured in the Montgomery area when the pickup truck she was in was hit by a bus. According to investigators, the pickup truck may have attempted to turn in front of the bus in order to merge onto the interstate. After the bus hit the truck, the truck collided with a third vehicle.
The lawsuit brought by the woman’s family accuses the pickup truck’s driver and its owner, who were also students at the University of Alabama, of negligence, gross negligence and wantonness. The suit also named the bus driver and the operating company as defendants, alleging that their lack of proper care directly led to the death.
Although it’s unclear how this suit will play out or whether investigators will uncover new, relevant information, car accidents that lead to the death of another may be grounds for wrongful death lawsuits. Alabama, unlike other states, seeks to punish offenders and determine who is responsible rather than just secure compensation for survivors.
Losing a loved one to a vehicle accident can result in heartbreaking emotional trauma. Those who previously relied on crash victims for financial support may also find themselves bereft of the lifestyles they’re accustomed to. Accidents like this one, however, can be hard to prosecute because they involve numerous parties and different factors. As a result, many survivors seek legal assistance in order to clarify their court cases and improve their chances of success.
Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution, “Lawsuit filed in Roswell college student’s death,” Alexis Stevens, March 28, 2013
