As you increase in age, your body changes. Your body can take longer to heal, recuperate and get back to normal after an accident. A hospital stay resulting from a car accident can be longer for an older person. And in some cases an elderly person is more at risk of being killed in an accident. If a loved one is killed in an accident, the aftermath can be difficult to grapple with. Fortunately, when a person is killed by another driver’s negligence, New Jersey law allows surviving family members to recover monetary damages in a civil lawsuit.
An elderly Basking Ridge man died recently after a car accident in Harding. According to local police, the 89-year-old man was involved in a head-on crash and suffered severe injuries. He was taken to the hospital, where he died after two days. The driver of the other vehicle declined medical attention. An investigation is continuing into the accident.
At this time it is unclear from news reports who was at fault in this accident. In a case like this it will often take a thorough accident investigation to determine fault. Both cars deployed their airbags.
Negligence can take many forms. It is defined as the failure to act with the level of care a reasonable person would exercise in the same circumstances. If someone exhibits poor behavior like texting and driving, they are responsible for accidents that happen. If a loved one is killed in an accident caused by another driver’s fault, their family may need financial compensation to help them cope with the loss of support by the victim.
The sudden death of a loved one can come as a big shock to a family, both emotionally and financially. An experienced personal injury attorney can help surviving family members get the compensation they deserve.
Source: Observer-Tribune, “Basking Ridge man dies after Harding car crash,” Staff Report, March 21, 2014
