The death of your spouse will reverberate within your life for the foreseeable future. If it happened due to a semi-truck accident, you may have questions about moving forward.
When a car accident involves a tractor-trailer, the results are often fatal. A semi’s size and weight make it a more imposing vehicle. Discover what a wrongful death case in a semi-truck crash may look like.
What is a wrongful death action?
A person with injuries caused by another’s negligence may file a personal injury claim. This action intends to compensate the victim for the damage to the body and reimburse for medical expenses and lost wages. In the unfortunate event that the person dies because of the injuries, the personal injury suit becomes a wrongful death action. As the surviving spouse, you continue the action.
What do you need to file it?
If death was fast and no personal injury claim started, you may still bring a wrongful death action. To do so, you need to show that your spouse’s death adversely affected your financial situation or that of your dependents. Like a personal injury claim, you also need proof that the truck driver was at-fault for the crash that killed your spouse.
What are common causes of semi crashes?
Tractor-trailer drivers may traverse the roads for a living, but they are not immune to making mistakes. When these directly result from a negligent act, the driver may become liable for your spouse’s death. Common causes of semi accidents include:
- Driver fatigue
- Brake failure
- Tire blow
- Distraction
- Intoxication
Moving on after the loss of a spouse takes time and help along the way. Financial compensation may fill one void and provide the means to get emotional support for your family.