The Oregon family of the victim of a fatal auto accident has recently been granted a financial settlement. The lawsuit was filed against the driver of the car who caused the auto accident and two restaurants. The fatal crash was allegedly related to drunk driving and occurred on Highway 99N as the victim was driving to work. According to the report, the drunk driver drifted into the opposite lane of oncoming traffic.
The family chose to name two local restaurants in the wrongful death lawsuit because of the amount of alcohol that had been served to the drunk driver in the hours leading up to the accident. Restaurants should have policies restricting the amount of alcohol that could be consumed by a patron, and they could be viewed as responsible if a person is served too much alcohol. While it may seem difficult to prove that a restaurant shares liability in an accident, there was apparently enough evidence to validate the claims of the family.
When the settlement was granted, the beneficiaries of the deceased received $60,000 each. The heirs or beneficiaries who will receive this settlement are the mother and the two daughters of the Oregon woman who was killed. The man who is responsible for the accident is currently serving a 10-year sentence for his role in the tragic event.
A wrongful death lawsuit is often a viable way to recoup losses incurred because of a fatal auto accident. If the accident occurred because of the negligent or dangerous actions of another person, the family of the deceased could be eligible for a financial settlement. This particular auto accident tragically took the life of a woman, but her daughters and mother exercised their legal right to file a civil suit against the driver responsible.
Source: tdn.com, “Family of drunk driving victim to get settlement”, , August 3, 2014
