You would think if you were crossing the street in a designated crosswalk area that you would be safe. Think again.
It seems no matter where one goes or what one does these days, there is a need to be alert and aware at all times, whether driving or crossing the street. Without that cautious awareness, the ultimate price may be death. That is what happened in this disturbing hit and run case.
Hit and runs are perhaps the most reprehensible of all pedestrian versus car accidents. If the victim dies, the family will have trouble filing a wrongful death lawsuit if the police are not able to track down the guilty driver. Unfortunately, that happens far more often than we would like to think. We would like to think that justice would be done in all cases of a wrong being perpetrated. That does not always happen.
In this case, a 19-year-old woman was crossing the street in a designated crosswalk area when she was hit by a new white or gray SUV. There were two witnesses at the scene who were able to tell the police that the van appeared to be new and either white or gray. They were not 100 percent certain as to the color, as the accident happened at 10:30 p.m.
The van’s driver did not stop and sped away from the area, leaving the young woman to die in the middle of the street. She was dead when the EMS crews arrived. No doubt her family will want to pursue this case with a personal injury lawyer. This wrongful death should never have happened. But for the negligence of the van driver, this young woman would still be alive today.
In wrongful death cases like this, the family will want to know what they need to do to bring their case to justice. They will want to hold someone responsible for the death of their family member so that it will not happen to someone else. Wrongful death lawsuits are rarely about getting even with the defendant. Instead, they are about the family seeking emotional, mental and financial relief to be able to move on with their lives.
Often, insurance money is an issue. Without the help of a skilled Austin personal injury lawyer, a plaintiff may not get the financial award they deserve. Do not wait too long to speak to an Austin personal injury lawyer if you have been in a similar situation. There is a statute of limitations running from the time of the accident. Ask your lawyer what that is during your first free consultation. You will leave knowing exactly what needs to be done to move forward with your life.
Brooks Schuelke is an Austin personal injury attorney with Perlmutter & Schuelke LLP. Contact an Austin injury lawyer at Civtrial.com or (512) 476-4944.
