A man was killed after a car apparently struck him while he was walking along the Pacific Coast Highway. The California Highway Patrol responded to the scene of the fatal accident. The victim had already passed away.
Accident details
The tragedy took place on a recent Sunday. The driver of the vehicle involved in the accident remained on-scene and was said to cooperate with law enforcement authorities. Further details were not reported, and the crash remains under investigation.
How an attorney can help
The evidence that California police gather from the crash scene may suggest that driver negligence played a part in the accident. For instance, the driver might have been speeding or texting and driving when the crash happened. In this situation, the surviving loved ones of the male pedestrian may choose to file a wrongful death claim against the car driver, seeking the reimbursement of monetary damages sustained because of the accident. Based on California’s pure comparative fault rule, even if the pedestrian was partly responsible for the wreck, his loved ones may still pursue a claim for damages.
Once liability is formally established, based upon a showing of negligence, a civil court judge will adjudicate claims for damages. If the plaintiffs are successful in their wrongful death claim, they may be awarded a monetary judgment to cover accident-related losses, such as funeral expenses or the loss of support for the victim’s surviving dependents. Monetary damages cannot undo the events leading to the fatal California accident, but they may help the pedestrian’s loved ones move forward from the tragedy.