A North Carolina family that is all too familiar with tragedy is now coping with the loss of a young relative. One son almost lost his life several years ago, followed by the death of a second son over the Fourth of July weekend. For a family that is still struggling with one member’s recovery, this incident could result in a wrongful death case in order to help compensate with the expenses an unexpected death can cause.
According to police reports, the 16-year-old boy was spending the day with a friend and the friend’s family. They had spent the day fishing, one of his favorite pastimes according to his mother. The accident occurred while the teenager was traveling back from the fishing trip on a gravel road as a passenger in his friend’s car.
While driving, the driver presumably lost control of the vehicle. It rolled over an embankment, ejecting the victim from the vehicle. As the vehicle continued to roll, it landed on top of the teenager, crushing him. Police say charges are pending against the driver of the car.
The accident is a tragedy for both the families of the deceased and the driver of the vehicle who will likely have to deal with the loss of his friend for the rest of his life. However, the family of the deceased will also have to cope with funeral expenses as a result of their young son’s death in addition to their grief. A wrongful death case in a North Carolina civil court might provide them the compensation they need to cover the expenses related to the death of their deceased son if the court rules the accident was caused by the driver’s negligence.
Source: wlos.com, “Update: Teen killed in wreck on birthday,” July 8, 2013