Louisiana residents recently celebrated Memorial Day. Whether it was a family barbeque or out at a parade, many took to the state’s roadways to get to their celebration destination. Unfortunately, some did not make it there due to a fatal accident.
Louisiana officials reported that this Memorial Day weekend proved more deadly than last year’s due to an increase in fatal car accidents. In 2012, four fatal accidents were reported by the Louisiana State Police. This holiday weekend that number increased to six. Eight people lost their lives in those six car accidents compared to four deaths reported during this same time last year.
In one fatal accident on La. 42, a vehicle ran a stop sign and caused a fatal accident. In another collision near New Orleans on U.S. 61, a driver went across the median and crashed into oncoming traffic. One passenger in that accident was ejected from the vehicle and killed. Accidents like these, where a driver behaves in a reckless or negligent manner, are a reminder that careful driving and paying attention to the road can never take a holiday.
Undoubtedly those killed in this weekend’s accidents leave behind family and friends who loved and cared for them. Whenever a family member dies in a car accident due to the negligence of another driver, the victim’s loved ones may pursue a claim for wrongful death. In the state of Louisiana, children or spouses can seek compensation for medical bills and any other debts that may accumulate as the result of an untimely passing. Though monetary payments can never substitute for the life of a loved one, an attorney can help these families overcome financial roadblocks on the way to healing.
Source: The Advocate, “Our Views: Keep summer a safe one,” May 30, 2013
