Losing a loved one who happened to be a passenger in a car that was involved in an accident is naturally an extremely traumatic experience. A 17-year-old girl’s mother recently filed a claim for wrongful death in a Missouri court against the family of the driver of the car in which she was a passenger, along with the truck driver who smashed into the car and his employer. It is not unusual for drivers to be sued when their passengers lose their lives in car accidents.

The claim arose from a fatal accident that occurred in Dec. 2014. Local police reportedly received a call from a concerned motorist about a stationary car on southbound Interstate 435, and they proceeded to the scene, but, upon arrival, they apparently found that a semi truck had smashed into the car from the rear. It is not known why the car was stopped on the roadway, but all five occupants were killed in the accident. They were the 24-year-old driver, a 17-year-old girl and three children 2 years old and younger. The truck driver suffered no injuries.

After the accident, the police in Kansas City released an initial report stating that the semi-truck driver failed to observe the stationary vehicle. The report also alleged that the driver of the truck made no effort to avoid the car, nor did he reduce his speed. A breath test to determine whether the semi-truck driver was impaired apparently showed no evidence of intoxication; however, the toxicology report of the deceased driver reportedly indicated the presence of cocaine, and it was also determined that her driver’s license had been suspended or revoked.

If Missouri families have lost loved ones who were passengers in vehicles that were involved in car accidents that resulted from the negligence of others, the surviving family members may file wrongful death claims against those parties. If an allegedly negligent driver also lost his or her life in the accident, the claim may be filed against the deceased driver’s estate. When filing personal injury or wrongful death claims that name several people or businesses as defendants, it may be beneficial to seek the assistance of an experienced legal professional.

Source: kshb.com, “Crash victim’s family files wrongful death suit after fatal I-435 crash”, Lexi Sutter, March 4, 2015