Many people in Pennsylvania might hear news of lawsuits filed following car accidents and assume that such cases only involve situations where those deemed responsible demonstrated blatant negligence. This likely comes from the assumption that only such negligence warrants accident victims taking legal action.
However, that is not always the case. Oftentimes those impacted by car accidents find themselves facing inordinate expenses from both injuries suffered and property damage sustained. Compensation coming from insurance companies may not completely cover these costs, leaving such parties needing to seek additional funds through lawsuits against the responsible drivers. Such actions may occur even when a responsible party’s actions were not intentional.
Washington Township driver dies in a head-on collision
Local authorities hope to determine if that indeed was the case in an accident that recently occurred in Westmoreland County. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that a Washington Township man driving a Honda Civic collided head-on with a Dodge Caravan on Route 380. Police do not yet know what caused the driver of the Civic to seemingly lose control of his vehicle. He died in the collision, while reports failed to indicate the exact status of the seven occupants of the minivan.
Posthumous action against parties
Some might look at a case like this and question the wisdom of seeking legal action against a deceased party. Yet the deaths of those who caused their car accidents do not erase the need victims have for seeking compensation. In such scenarios, people may pursue a liability claim in hopes of gaining relief for the expenses they face. Any compensation coming as the result of such action would come from the estates of those responsible, turning the plaintiffs in such matters into creditors against these estates.