A 21-year old New Jersey woman was killed when the car she was driving collided with a police car during the recent hurricane. The auto accident occurred in Port Jefferson when the car went through a stop light and collided with the police vehicle. The driver was killed, and her three passengers were injured and taken to the hospital for treatment. The police officer inside the car was also taken to the hospital and subsequently released. An investigation of the incident is still ongoing, but police confirmed that the traffic light near where the accident occurred was not working at the time of the accident. At the time of the accident, the police car was returning from a call related to the storm.
Automobile accidents may be caused by many different factors. They may be caused by factors outside of the driver’s control, such as bad weather, unsafe road conditions or improperly working traffic lights. Or they may be caused by the negligence or recklessness of the driver, including drunk and/or distracted drivers.
Regardless of their cause, automobile accidents are momentous events that cause tremendous upheaval in the lives and finances of those affected. In addition to the emotional pain and suffering of seeing a loved one or family member hurt or killed, automobile accidents take a tremendous financial toll on the injured and their loved ones as well. They must deal with the cost of repair, lost wages, medical bills, and the financial fallout from any disability and/or death.
Anyone affected by an automobile accident need not accept this lying down. The family members and/or loved ones of a car accident victim are entitled to an adequate financial compensation not just from their insurance company, but also from the responsible defendants. If warranted, they may also obtain a personal injury judgment against the defendant for his or her recklessness or negligence. Anyone with a loved one or a family member involved in a car accident has the ability to seek justice.
Source: PortJeffersonPatch.com, “UPDATE: Traffic Light Out at Time of Fatal Crash in Port Jefferson Station,” Joseph Pinciaro, October 30, 2012