If your family has been impacted by the death of a loved one in a motor vehicle accident, we send you our sincere condolences. Losing a loved one in an untimely manner can cause an unending stream of heartache. As you begin working through the grieving process, you may wonder if there is someone you can hold responsible for the loss of your loved one.
Below, we share common causes of fatal accidents and the process to achieve a settlement.
Common Causes of Fatal Accidents
While the pandemic kept many people at home and off the roads, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) still reported over 38,000 deaths due to motor vehicle accidents in 2020, and 23,395 of these deaths involved passenger vehicle occupants.
Furthermore, NHTSA reports that speeding has been a leading cause of one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities for more than two decades. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, there were 718 fatal crashes within the state in 2021, alone. In some accidents, there is a party at fault that is a result of negligence, malicious intent, or a product defect. Below is a list of common causes that may result in a fatal motor accident:
- Tire Blowout
- Alcohol/Drug Use
- Driver Fatigue
- Negligent Truck Maintenance
- Overloaded Trucks
- Train & Vehicle Collisions
- Speeding
- Rollover
- Rear-End Collisions
- Hit-and-Run
- Head-on Collisions
- Distracted Driver
- Drunk Drivers
If you believe one of the above factors resulted in the death of your loved one, please contact a wrongful death attorney to learn more about the opportunities your family has to receive compensation. While we understand that no amount of money will replace the person you’ve lost, compensation can be used to supplement the income that has been lost as a result of the death, or as a way to plan for the future care of family members.
What Type of Settlement Can I Expect?
Our team has achieved great success in securing rightful compensation for our clients who have lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident.
When working on a wrongful death claim, our team will evaluate police reports to fully understand the situation. We will obtain key witnesses’ statements through interviews and negotiate with insurance companies as we work to hold all parties accountable.
In doing so, we have seen achieved notable results. For example, the attorneys at Hurley McKenna & Mertz recently achieved a $6,000,000 settlement in the State of Alabama for a 55-year-old Chicago man injured in a head-on collision with a truck in 2019 in Birmingham, Alabama.
If you or your loved ones were injured in an accident, you can also seek compensation for those injuries. We’ve helped thousands of victims of car and truck collisions throughout the United States, and we’d like to stand up for your family, too.
If Someone You Love has Been Killed in a Fatal Motor Vehicle Accident, Hurley McKenna & Mertz is Here to Help.
Don’t take on more alone. If someone you love was killed in a fatal motor vehicle accident, our team can help you navigate conversations with outside parties, like those at fault or their insurance company.
Wrongful death cases require an experienced lawyer who has navigated the complexities many times. Our team of attorneys has a plethora of resources, including expert witnesses who can testify on your behalf and explain the causes of the accident to a jury.
At Hurley McKenna & Mertz, we have successfully helped many families who have lost loved ones due to a fatal motor vehicle accident. Through proper investigation and intimate knowledge of the law, we can help your family be fairly compensated. Contact us today for assistance with your case.
If you are coping with the loss of a loved one due to a motor vehicle accident, consider these resources.
