When a family goes through the loss of a loved one, there are a range of emotions that occur. The grieving process can be lengthy, especially when the deceased died suddenly. This scenario is playing out for one family following the death of a Wisconsin man is a terrible car accident.
The incident took place in Dec. 2010. A 23-year-old man was driving an SUV in Wood County when he ran a stop sign, crashing into another vehicle. He then struck a second vehicle.
As a result of that collision, the driver of that vehicle was thrown from his SUV. He suffered life-ending injuries in the crash, and died at the scene. The young man who caused the accident admitted to police that he had been texting at the time of the crash. He was recently in court for sentencing in the resulting charges, the result of a plea deal in which he entered a plea of no contest to second-degree reckless homicide.
The Wisconsin driver responsible for this death was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by seven years of probation for his role in the car accident. This may give the family of the deceased some measure of justice in the loss of their loved one. However, should they decide to do so, they can also pursue a wrongful death lawsuit through our state’s civil court system. By using evidence from the criminal trial that demonstrates negligence on the part of the driver, the family could receive monetary damages associated with their loss.
Source: Fond du Lac Reporter, “Stevens Point man gets 10 years in fatal texting crash,” Nov. 13, 2012
