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2 protections for surviving family members after a deadly crash

On Behalf of | Dec 14, 2022 | Car Accidents

Car crashes are just part of daily life for drivers in Connecticut, and most people never have major consequences from a wreck. Collisions frequently cause only property damage and minor injuries to vehicle occupants. Unfortunately, there are many scenarios in which crashes completely alter someone’s life.

Fatal collisions are more common than people realize, and they are a leading cause of death among people of all ages in Connecticut. If someone that you love recently died in a motor vehicle wreck, you may have questions about what rights you have, especially as the real-world impact of your loss becomes more obvious.

What protects those directly affected by a fatal car crash?

Liability-based car insurance

Drivers in Connecticut should all carry liability coverage on their vehicles. While it may not be nearly enough to reimburse your family for what you lost, insurance coverage can pay for medical costs, funeral bills and even lost wages as well as vehicle damage expenses. Drivers should have at least $25,000 worth of bodily injury coverage, which will apply to fatalities.

If there was a commercial vehicle involved, there may be a larger policy available. Your family can also potentially make a claim against the deceased person’s uninsured/underinsured motorist protection, which could add at least another $25,000 in potential compensation.

Wrongful death lawsuits

Not every fatal car crash will lead to a successful civil lawsuit, but some of them will. When there is reason to believe that negligence or wrongful acts by one driver or a business caused a fatal collision, there may be grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit. Such lawsuits can provide substantially more compensation than the average car insurance claim in Connecticut.

Families can ask for compensation for most of their financial losses, from medical bills and lost wages to lost household services. You can also potentially claim your loved one’s pain and suffering before they died and other noneconomic losses related to their death. Successful claims can help people cover all of the costs and future losses related to a crash fatality that insurance didn’t pay.

Making use of insurance and wrongful death statutes will help those grieving after a recent fatal car crash forever changes their lives.

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