On behalf of Kammholz Law PLLC posted in Wrongful Death on Friday, April 11, 2014.
Four young people, their ages between 19 and 21, died late on a recent Friday evening. They were out celebrating the upcoming 20th birthday of one of the girls in the group when the fatal accident happened. Details are still vague, as there were no witnesses, and a New York police investigation is underway. The sole survivor was the driver of the car. In rainy and foggy conditions, he seemed to have come across an unexpected dead end, and in an effort to make a quick turn around, the car apparently slid on the wet road. It skidded off the road and came to rest upside-down, eight feet underwater in a creek. Despite the quick response of 911 and rescue divers, the four young people lost their lives. Police stated that there was no evidence of alcohol in the driver’s system and hope to obtain information regarding the speed of the car prior to the accident from a surveillance camera in the vicinity. Authorities said that the accident appears to have been unintended, and they did not expect anybody to be charged. The youngsters were all from the same neighborhood, and their deaths came as a huge shock to the community. If New York residents have lost loved ones in a fatal accident, they retain the right to file wrongful death claims in a civil court. This is applicable to passengers in a motor vehicle where the evidence suggests that the driver was negligent in causing or contributing to the crash. The families of the deceased will have to face the high costs related to funerals and burials, but a successfully presented claim could result in a monetary judgment against the driver and any other owner of the vehicle involved in the tragic crash. Source: CBS New York, “Police Eye Speed, Weather In Astoria Crash That Killed 4“, , April 6, 2014