The consequences of a serious car accident are not always immediately realized. Sometimes there are immediate injuries that were caused by the crash and other times injuries surface months down the road.
An accident that occurred over a year-and-a-half ago left a Pennsylvania woman paralyzed. The driver of the other car was charged with several traffic violations, including reckless driving and speeding. Now the York County District Attorney’s Office is taking a second look at the 2009 crash. Why?
According to the article, the woman who was paralyzed in the accident died last month. Now prosecutors are checking medical records to see if homicide should be added to the other driver’s list of charges.
The crash occurred in the afternoon. The woman had been traveling down a road when the other driver came around a corner, partially in her lane. He ended up crashing head-on into the woman. If medical records show that the woman’s death was related to the spinal cord injury she sustained in the crash, the man could be facing a homicide charge.
If it is discovered that the woman’s injuries from the crash eventually caused her death, her family may be able to file a wrongful death claim as well. Many families that lose loved ones are faced with financial challenges; there are medical bills, funeral costs, and even lost wages to consider.
For the family of the woman who was killed, a wrongful death claim may be a way for them to deal with the financial stress they likely face.
Source: York Daily Record online, “DA to re-examine 2009 crash after injured woman dies,” Rick Lee, 04 January 2011