In the tragic event that a family member is killed in a car accident, you may have a wrongful death suit. This is a lawsuit against the party or parties who caused the death, filed on behalf of the members of the family who have lost the company and support of the deceased. Thus, a child might be entitled to compensation for the personal loss of a father as well as the amount of financial support the child would have received from the now-dead parent while a minor.

A wife would recover damages for loss of her husband’s love and companionship and a lifetime of expected support, while a parent would be limited to damages for loss of companionship. A lawsuit for wrongful death may be filed by the executor or administrator of the estate of the deceased or by family members.

Because statutes are frequently changed or modified by the Washington State legislature and because different circumstances require that other statutes may be applied, the law can get quite complicated. For these reasons, it is highly recommended that you seek competent legal advice from an attorney who is well-versed on your specific situation.

Driver age has an interesting correlation with car accidents that cause injuries and deaths. In Washington State, young inexperienced drivers (16 – 20 years old) are the age group with the highest rate of fatal collisions. On the other end of the age spectrum, the risk of being involved in a fatal collision begins to grow in the 71+ age group. As the state’s population ages, this will be a continuing concern.

Washington State requires young drivers to start with an instruction permit, then qualify for an intermediate license before being issued a legal driver’s license at age 18. These steps do help reduce the number of accidents caused by inexperienced drivers, but are by no means a cure for the high rate of injuries and death caused by youthful drivers.
With auto accidents on the increase, it is more necessary than ever to be aware of your legal options when injured.

Although seat belts and air bags have reduced mortality in auto accidents. they have not significantly reduced the incidence of neck injuries that occur in such accidents. The most common auto accident is a rear end collision. The drivers and the passengers will experience rapid flexion and extension of the necks.

This can damage and compress the spinal joints and nerves and cause tearing of the muscles and ligaments in the back of the neck and upper back. Commonly lumped together as “whiplash” injuries, they can be minor or cause lasting medical problems.

Recent studies have shown that the normal neck can withstand a forward snapping motion of 50 times the force of gravity before producing an injury. However, in the case of a backward rebound motion only 5 times the force of gravity can be tolerated. An automobile traveling only 25 miles her hour creates 3,400 pounds of force. The impact of a crash at this speed will place several tons of force on the victim’s neck.

For these reasons, it is important to visit your medical practitioner immediately after any injury to the neck, no matter how slight.