A recent fatal pedestrian accident occurred in West Orange when a bus hit an eighty-two-year-old woman. The accident happened at an intersection, where the bus was attempting to make a left turn onto the street as the woman was crossing the road. After the collision, the bus driver got out of the bus, called the police, and rendered aid to the woman, who later died as the result of her injuries.
While no charges have been filed against the bus driver in the aforementioned accident yet, and charges may not ever be filed if there is no reason to do so, many fatal pedestrian accidents do lead to wrongful death actions. Some drivers strike pedestrians with their vehicles when they are driving negligently, recklessly, or in violation of the law.
Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents happen more often than many people realize. In America, approximately twelve pedestrians are struck by motor vehicles every day. Some of those pedestrians survive, and many of them suffer permanent or long-lasting damage from their injuries. Many pedestrians do not survive their accidents with motor vehicles. When a pedestrian gets hit by a motor vehicle, the force of the impact can throw the pedestrian into the air or crush them. Some of the pedestrians die instantly while others die within a few minutes or a few hours as the result of their injuries.
After a pedestrian accident, the victim’s family often seeks civil damages in relation to their loss. There are two types of civil actions that family members can bring. Survival actions enable the families of accident victims to recover the damages that the victim could have recovered if they had survived the accident. The other type of civil action is a wrongful death action against the at-fault driver. Wrongful death actions are intended to help families of accident victims recover damages that they have experienced in connection with the losses of their loved ones, such as funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and loss of support.
In addition to the civil actions described above, additional causes of action may exist in a pedestrian accident case. For example, the State may pursue criminal charges in a situation where a pedestrian was struck and killed by a driver who was speeding or who was driving under the influence of alcohol. In a few, extreme cases, the conduct of a driver who hit and killed a pedestrian accident is so outrageous that it receives special treatment under criminal laws, resulting in vehicular manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter charges.
Giddens Law Firm, P.A.: Representing Mississippi Pedestrian Accident Victims
If someone that you love was struck and killed by a vehicle while they were walking, you have a lot to gain from working with a Mississippi Wrongful Death Attorney. Pedestrian accident cases can be complicated, and it is important that you have the experienced legal support that you need right now so that you can focus on grieving and healing as a family. To learn more, call the Mississippi Wrongful Death Attorneys of the Giddens Law Firm, P.A., at (601) 355-2022.