Not only has the family of an 11-year-old boy been mourning the tragic loss of a young life in a recent collision, but so have his fellow fifth-graders at the school he attended. The death of the schoolboy was announced by the superintendent of the New Jersey school district using its official Facebook page. Auto-pedestrian accidents are devastating, but when the victim is a child, it seems so much worse.
To date, little information regarding the accident has been released. According to reports, the fifth-grade boy was walking in the vicinity of where Forest and Park Avenues intersect when he was hit by a car. He died as a result of the accident. Although, his family has been notified, his identity will only be released by authorities after the autopsy.
The accident is under investigation. No charges have been filed to date, but pending the outcome of the investigation, they may follow. Even if criminal charges are not be filed, however, the family of the deceased will have the option of filing a wrongful death suit in a civil court should the investigation indicate that the driver of the car was negligent.
In New Jersey, families of victims killed in auto-pedestrian accidents may choose to file wrongful death claims to compensate them for their monetary expenses, along with their emotional pain and suffering. Despite the outcomes of a criminal case, a civil case allows the legal estate of the victim the opportunity to claim for unexpected expenses. The court may award monetary damages in a successful claim for funeral and burial costs as well as other related costs.
Source: nj.com, “Keansburg school grieving ‘devastating loss’ of boy killed by car“, Ashley Peskoe, April 23, 2014