While there are certain actions that pedestrians can take to protect their safety, there are often incidents that they cannot anticipate in which nothing they can do can protect them from the negligent actions of others. Unfortunately, one family is now grieving — and possibly considering a wrongful death lawsuit — following a fatal accident in California. The driver of the vehicle believed to be responsible faces criminal charges.
The accident happened on a day in July. According to reports, a 22-year-old woman was driving a vehicle that she had rented via Get Around, a peer-to-peer rental service. Police say that the woman ran a red light and was broadsided by another vehicle. The woman’s vehicle then struck two pedestrians in a crosswalk.
One of the pedestrians, a 39-year-old man, died as a result of injuries suffered in the collision. The second, his wife, suffered critical injuries. Police are working to determine if the vehicle, a Tesla, was in autopilot mode at the time of the collision. While drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a factor in the accident, police suspect that the driver was speeding at the time of the collision.
Reports indicate that the victims were celebrating their third wedding anniversary when the accident happened. Unfortunately, what should have been a time of happiness turned into tragedy, allegedly because a driver failed to obey a traffic signal. Because of the reported circumstances of the incident, filing a wrongful death lawsuit may be appropriate. An attorney with experience with such cases in California can help determine all parties who may be responsible, including examining the driver, the company that facilitated the rental of the vehicle, the owner and the car manufacturer if the vehicle was in autopilot mode at the time.
