Posted on July 29, 2016
Being alert and aware of what is going on along the roadway is incredibly important for drivers everywhere. Impairment behind the wheel of an automobile can play a major role in how one acts in and reacts to a variety of situations. Victims of a car accident in Louisiana resulting from drinking and driving — including the surviving families of deceased victims — are entitled to consult someone experienced in handling personal injury and wrongful death claims, so that they can gain a better understanding of what legal steps may be available to them.
One recent motor vehicle accident involved a pickup truck and a pedestrian. A 22-year-old soldier was walking along a highway early one morning and attempted to cross the road. It was at this time that a pickup truck, driven by a 37-year-old man, was moving along the highway and struck the pedestrian.
The young man had to be transported to a hospital but was unable to overcome the injuries that he had suffered in the crash. The driver of the vehicle was not injured in the accident. Authorities report that the truck driver had a blood alcohol concentration well over the legal limit. He is facing charges for vehicular homicide and driving with a suspended license. Police reported that the pedestrian was also impaired, which they suspect to be a causal factor in the crash.
Officials are still investigating causes leading to this particular Louisiana pedestrian accident. The family members of the deceased pedestrian may choose to file a wrongful death claim against the truck driver, seeking damages that — if awarded — may help to cover funeral costs and other accident-related losses. In this case, damages may be awarded even if the plaintiff were found to be 99 percent at fault in the accident, although the damages would be decreased by the percentage that he was at fault in the fatal car accident.
Source: 12newsnow.com, “Fort Polk soldier killed in auto-pedestrian accident in Calcasie“, Shauntae Lymas, Aug. 23, 2015