Almost three years ago today, a father had been driving his daughter and her best friend when their vehicle was struck by an SUV that was traveling in the opposite direction. The car accident was fatal, taking the life of the man’s 12-year-old daughter. The man and his daughter’s best friend both sustained serious injuries.
Any car accident can have serious consequences for all involved. But fatal crashes are especially difficult to deal with if the accident was due to the negligence of another. For this father, his daughter was killed because the driver of the SUV had been intoxicated behind the wheel.
According to the police, the driver of the SUV had been drinking alcohol and using drugs before the crash occurred. He was driving down the road and likely lost control of the vehicle, crossing into oncoming traffic. That is when the crash occurred.
The SUV driver was sentenced last week to one year in prison with eight years of probation; he will also have to pay a fine plus court fees. But is this fair? The parents of the young girl do not think so.
The accident caused a lot of emotional trauma for the girl’s family and her best friend who had been in the car. In addition to the emotional trauma, the father and best friend were also subjected to physical damage. The father sustained injuries to his arms and legs, injuries that crippled him for months after the accident. The girls’ best friend also had broken bones and suffered a head injury.
For many car accident victims, physical injuries cause a lot of problems. Often the medical bills for treatment can be overwhelming, especially when the victim is recovering emotionally as well. In some cases, victims need advice on what sort of steps to take next. Taking the right step can help a victim receive compensation for medical bills, property damage, and even lost wages.
Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review online, “Parents ‘appalled’ at sentence in fatal crash,” Bobby Kerlik, 31 March 2011