Four people, including a child, were killed and one person was injured in a Stanislaus County auto accident on Tuesday.

The California Highway Patrol and KCRA-TV report that the collision occurred in Patterson when a van ran a stop sign and broadsided a sport utility vehicle at an intersection.  Tragically, the driver of the van and a man, woman and child occupying the SUV were declared dead at the scene.  One passenger of the SUV was hospitalized with major injuries. This California wrongful death auto accident remains under investigation and it is not known whether drugs or alcohol were a factor.

California Wrongful Death Lawsuits

Based on the available information, the driver of the van is more than likely responsible from a legal standpoint to compensate the victims of this Patterson injury accident. In most cases, the driver’s insurance would pay for these losses even though he is deceased. If he had no insurance, the victims may be able to recover under the uninsured motorist provision of an auto insurance policy covering their vehicle.

Nothing is more devastating than losing a loved one, especially if it is unexpected and as the result of someone’s negligence. The law provides that certain family members, usually a spouse, child or parent, have the right to recover compensation for certain losses if someone is liable for causing another person’s death.  These losses include both economic and non-economic damages.  The most significant economic loss recoverable in a wrongful death claim is  typically the loss of financial support and other benefits that the deceased would have provided in his or her lifetime to the person making the claim.  Non-economic damages include the loss of love, support and companionship of the deceased person. Anyone who has lost a loved one as the result of another’s negligence or carelessness is advised to contact an experienced California Personal Injury Attorney who will hire investigators and accident reconstruction experts to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident, advise the victim of all legal rights, and file a lawsuit if necessary to obtain fair compensation.

Auto Accident Attorneys California

Likewise, anyone seriously injured in a California auto accident has a number of complicated issues to deal with after a collision like this. First, legal responsibility for the collision must be determined, sometimes requiring investigation beyond what is contained in the police report. Second, the medical bills must be paid. Even if there is health insurance to pay for the bills initially, the health insurance company will likely seek reimbursement from any liability insurance recovery. That means that the health insurance company will be competing for money that otherwise would go to the injured victim. Third, when there are multiple people injured in a crash, they will often be competing for a proportional share of a limited amount of insurance money. Lastly, insurance companies will do whatever they can to avoid paying fair compensation for not only medical bills, but lost income and pain and suffering as well.  It is important that injury victims in these situations consult with an experienced and reputable California personal injury law firm to protect their rights.

The Demas & Rosenthal personal injury law firm is not currently representing anyone mentioned in this article at the time it was posted. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your legal rights and options, call us or another well recognized and respected personal injury law firm. Please do not rely or act solely upon the information provided in this article. Please consider getting a consultation immediately. The best personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation. Demas & Rosenthal will provide a free, confidential consultation to the persons who were not at fault named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.