On Tuesday, April 15, a 59-year-old woman lost her life in an automobile collision. The accident occurred in Ocean Township, and Al Della Fave spoke on behalf of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office about the details concerning the fatal collision. These details were fairly limited as is often the case.
According to Fave, the woman was driving a small passenger car at approximately 6 p.m. that day. In the accident, her vehicle collided with a pickup truck. She was transported to the Community Medical Center in Toms River. There, doctors determined that she didn’t survive the injuries suffered in the crash and she was pronounced dead.
The spokesman identified certain specific details, including the intersection where the collision occurred, the make and the model of each vehicle, the identity of the victim and the age of each of the drivers involved. What was not identified in the report was the cause of the accident, but these are the details that will matter most in a wrongful death lawsuit.
What caused the vehicles to collide? Was there a stop sign or a stop light at the intersection? Did one of the drivers enter the intersection out of turn? Were the stoplights working properly at the time? Were the vehicles fully operational or did something fail, like the brakes? Were the vehicles recently maintained? Was either driver suffering a medical condition at the time? Was either under the influence?
The answers to these questions are the meat of the case, the ones that will affect the outcome. These questions only scratch the surface of what a wrongful death attorney will ask and answer to ensure that a victim’s family receives the compensation that will honor the life that was lost.
Source: The Star-Ledger, “Woman killed in 2-vehicle Ocean County collision,” Jeff Goldman, April 16, 2014