Fatal Passaic County Crash Could Lead To Wrongful Death Claim
Two Passaic County residents were involved in an early morning crash on a recent Sunday morning in May. The collision happened at nearly 10 a.m., near a local intersection in Wayne. The fatal accident is currently still being investigated by authorities. It remains to be seen if the information that is gathered will form the basis for criminal charges and/or a civil wrongful death claim in New Jersey.
The 61-year-old driver of the car was in the process of turning to the left when her vehicle and the pickup truck struck one another. The pickup was driven by a 55-year-old man. The car driver was unconscious and had to be taken to a medical facility in the area. Doctors declared her dead shortly after she arrived at the hospital.
The driver of the pickup truck was also taken to hospital. He was treated for minor injuries and released from hospital on the same day. There is no indication regarding exactly what occurred that caused the accident. Once the investigation into the accident is complete, it may be possible to determine if either driver was negligent in a way that either caused the accident or substantially contributed to it.
Should the evidence suggest that negligence on the part of the truck driver was the root cause of the accident, the surviving family of the deceased victim may elect to institute a civil claim for wrongful death in New Jersey against the owner of the pickup and its driver. In this instance, too little information was reported in the initial media report to be able to gauge the viability of such a claim. As the family grieves, they will be well served by gaining an understanding of their legal rights and of what steps may be necessary to seek monetary relief through our court system.
Source: beaumontenterprise.com, “Woman killed, man hurt in north New Jersey crash“, June 1, 2014
