Last month the family of a woman who died in a 2008 car accident in Miami was awarded $8.8 million, by a Miami-Dade County jury, in a wrongful death lawsuit. The fatal car accident from which the lawsuit stemmed occurred on Bird Road when the car in which the deceased woman and her husband were travelling was hit by a Subaru driven by a 17-year-old boy.
As a result of injuries incurred in the accident the woman died at the scene. Her husband survived despite suffering from serious abdominal bleeding and incurring a cut that stretched from his stomach to his chest.
The road where the accident took place is zoned for 40 miles per hour. Nonetheless, evidence indicated that at the time of the accident the teen was traveling over 60 miles per hour. In addition, it appears that he was texting. Records showed that the last of the 127 texts the teen sent on the day of the accident was sent just two minutes before paramedics were called to the scene. The complaint also alleged a bottle of cough syrup that was partially consumed, cocaine and marijuana were found in the vehicle.
In addition to her husband, the woman left behind who young children. Fortunately they were not in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
A successful wrongful death lawsuit will not bring the deceased person back. While no amount of money will fill the hole created by the death of a mother and spouse, it may provide a bit of closure and make it easier for the family to move forward with their lives.
Source: The Miami Herald, “Miami Dade jury awards $8.8 million to family of woman killed in crash,” Jon Silman, Dec. 20, 2011