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The Tragedy Of Fatal Rear End Collisions

RearCarAccident

She was sitting in her car in the left turn lane on Rt. 30 when the unthinkable occurred:  a flatbed smashed into Dinora Flores from behind, propelling her vehicle forward into the path of a tractor trailer.  Flores was pronounced dead within just hours, an innocent victim of someone else’s recklessness/negligence.  Sadly, these kinds of horrific accidents occur all too often, leaving families and friends grieving.  While nothing can replace your lost loved one, an experienced personal injury attorney may be able to help recover damages to address your loss.

Facts About Rear Enders 

Imagine the terror of sitting in your vehicle and seeing another motorist bowling toward you in your rear-view mirror.  There’s no time to respond—no way to avoid the inevitable impact.  Roughly two million of these accidents occur across the country annually.  Certainly, they are incredibly dangerous collisions, since one vehicle is generally stationary and another is travelling quite fast.  These kinds of accidents lead to about one-third of all serious traffic injuries, and nearly one in ten traffic fatalities. More often than not, driver negligence and/or recklessness are the bottom-line cause of such catastrophes. Sure, in some situations the driver in front shares some culpability.  Perhaps their brake lights were on the fritz, or they made an unexpected stop or turn.  But in the majority of situations, the driver in the rear could avoid an accident by simply paying close attention to the road.  Drivers make a mad dash to get through a yellow light and fail to anticipate that the vehicle ahead stopped, or speeding motorists get distracted by a phone call or reaching for their burger.  Truly, many of these collisions could be avoided, if only drivers put their focus where it should be.  Instead, rear-end crashes, many of which result in fatalities, needlessly occur.

Filing a Wrongful Death Suit 

In Florida, the estate of the deceased is able to file a civil wrongful death suit within two years of the death of a loved one.  Damages may be sought to cover costs associated with funeral expenses and medical bills, as well as for lost present and future wages, emotional pain and suffering, and lost support/services.

The burden of proof in these cases is on the plaintiff.  Your attorney must be able to establish that the defendant had a duty to be alert and safe on the road and must prove that negligence or recklessness caused the death.

A Successful Suit 

While a successful wrongful death lawsuit cannot return your loved one, it can bring significant tax-free resources to family members who have been left behind.  At The Law Office of Hasson D. Barnes, a Baltimore personal injury attorney will listen to your concerns and build a case with your best interests in mind.  Contact our office for a confidential consultation today.

Resources:

natlawreview.com/article/facts-about-rear-end-accidents

washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2015/06/08/there-are-about-1-7-million-rear-end-collisions-on-u-s-roads-each-year-heres-how-to-stop-them/

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