Local police arrested and charged a Lafayette man with vehicular homicide for his involvement in a June automobile accident. Authorities say that the man was drunk at the time of the fatal accident, which resulted in the death of a Lafayette woman. The woman’s mother is unhappy about the way that the police are proceeding with the matter. Often, this is the case in wrongful death situations. Survivors find that the criminal justice system offers inadequate solutions. But, wrongful death lawsuits in civil court can provide significant relief for survivors and offer some closure for unfortunate fatalities.
As we reported in a prior post, the fatal Lafayette car accident occurred at night on a local highway in early June. The Lafayette man was allegedly drunk and crossed the center line, crashing into a Lafayette woman’s car. The woman died. The man and another passenger suffered minor injuries. At the time of the accident, police issued the man several tickets. It was only after the police recently received information about the man’s blood alcohol level that they were able to arrest him for vehicular homicide. The man is now being detained. The court set his bond for $150,000. The woman’s mother believes that the court set the bond far too low based on his prior record, which includes a previous OWI.
Like many survivors, the mother in this case is experiencing a great deal of pain and suffering, and she is attempting to understand how to proceed with the recent death of her daughter. It is only natural that she questions the criminal justice system’s decisions. Fortunately, Louisiana law offers survivors like her relief through wrongful death suits. Specifically, the personal representative of a decedent’s estate can bring a wrongful death action when someone dies as a result of another individual’s negligence. The estate can recover money for pain and suffering, as well as medical and funeral expenses.
Source: Daily Advertiser, “Arrest made in June crash,” Claire Taylor, Aug. 10, 2012