Families in Minnesota have the right to seek relief over the wrongful death of a loved one, and it may help you in moving forward. A widow and her children received more than $2 million from a jury that settled their complaint against a driver who fatally crashed into the husband and father, as reported by the Lillie Suburban Newspaper. At The Cody Law Group, our family is experienced in managing difficult circumstances that involve the sudden loss of a relative. Sometimes, a civil action is necessary to provide compensation for medical expenses, funeral costs and the loss of income that you and your family may have relied upon.
It took more than a year for the jury to finally decide on the fate of the Minnesota family’s lawsuit. After hearing testimony from the family, law enforcement and the other driver, a settlement was reached to provide some relief. According to the family’s complaint, the deceased’s pickup truck was struck and he was ejected out of it while in an intersection making a left turn.
Allegedly, the other driver was traveling at a high speed and she did not maintain a proper lookout to avoid striking him. The deceased’s family argued that if she had been driving at a lawful speed, she would not have caused the accident that resulted in the fatal head injuries which later took the man’s life.
Video footage from a nearby Walmart showed that both drivers had a green light. Based on the video, the man was reportedly supposed to give oncoming cars the right of way before making his left turn. While the defendant’s attorney argued that she had been traveling below the speed limit, Minnesota law, however, requires drivers to drive at a speed that is reasonable for the road conditions.
Because the other driver was found to be 70% negligent, the jury awarded the family more than $3 million. The amount included compensation for their loved one’s medical expenses, loss of his financial contribution and the loss of his comfort, assistance, time together, companionship and guidance. A settlement offer, however, reduced the total damages to $2.15 million.
While a jury award of any amount is never enough to replace the loss of a family member, it may help in obtaining closure. Our page on wrongful death provides more information on how you may file a legal claim for relief.