The average Arizona resident is probably not as careful as they could be on the road 100 percent of the time. From grabbing a snack to talking on the phone during a drive, distractions abound. Paying attention to safety and the road is important, though, because you never know when a car accident may be caused by another driver.
On Jan. 16, according to police in Globe, Arizona, a driver pulled out of a store parking lot without yielding to oncoming traffic. That driver’s vehicle was struck by another vehicle as it crossed the highway. According to the police report, the driver of one of the cars subsequently died from injuries sustained in the accident. It was not reported which driver died. Authorities also did not say whether any traffic citations were issued or whether anyone would be criminally charged for the tragic collision.
An investigation is one part of the puzzle for most vehicle accidents in determining who the at-fault driver was, and in some cases, more than one driver can be at fault. In this case, if the surviving driver is determined to be responsible for the accident, the victim’s family members may well have a case for a wrongful death lawsuit.
Police citations or criminal charges are not required for a civil lawsuit to move forward against a person for a vehicle accident. In cases where the police do not find a driver at fault, attorneys and investigators working for Arizona victims and/or family members may be able to find enough evidence of negligence or wrongdoing to begin a civil case.
Source: Arizona Silver Belt, “Car accident near Fry’s leaves one dead” No author given, Jan. 21, 2014