A July 8 motorcycle crash resulted in a man’s death, authorities reported. Stratford police officers commenced an investigation into the fatal accident, which reportedly occurred shortly before 10 a.m.
That is when a 26-year-old man riding a motorcycle south on Main Street was struck by a northbound car attempting to make a left turn onto McPadden Drive, authorities said. An emergency crew transported the motorcyclist to Bridgeport Hospital, where he eventually died on account of the injuries he suffered in the crash. It was unclear immediately following the incident whether the driver of the car was injured.
Nor was it immediately clear if police filed any charges or issued any citations in connection with the accident. Yet, even if officials were to pursue criminal charges in this case, that would not preclude the at-fault driver from facing potential civil action as well. For, criminal cases and civil cases are adjudicated independently from each other, even when they stem from the same incident and share the same defendant.
In reality, people who suffer damages on account of traffic accidents in Connecticut may be entitled to financial compensation through civil action if the accident can be demonstrably attributed to another party’s recklessness, negligence or other type of actionable behavior. In the case of a fatal accident, such as this one, the deceased victim’s family may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim against the liable party, seeking restitution for the economic losses they suffered in connection with the fatal event. These losses may include but are not limited to funeral expenses and the costs associated with the decedent’s estate administration.
Source: Milford Mirror, “Stratford motorcycle accident kills Milford man“, July 10, 2014