Successfully Helping Injured People in Montana for More Than 40 Years

by | Mar 19, 2014 | Uncategorized |

When catastrophe strikes families resulting in the loss of a loved one, nothing can truly ease their pain. In most cases, seeking restitution is the farthest thing from anyone’s mind, but by law, surviving family members are often entitled to compensation if the death occurred due to negligence or careless actions. A recent case in which Irvine, California, allegedly facilitated the death of a 90 year-old man due to negligence illustrates why it’s often a good idea to seek the advice of a skilled wrongful death attorney to pursue a claim against an individual or entity who caused harm.

According to reports made at the time, an elderly man was walking inside a crosswalk early on the evening of March 8, 2013, when he was struck by an automobile and killed. Later that same year, the surviving members of the man’s family filed a lawsuit against the city of Irvine, California, as well as the driver of the car. The man’s family is seeking an award of $20 million in damages.

Apparently, the main issue in this case is the city’s failure to provide approaching drivers with sufficient notice that there could be pedestrians using the crosswalk. The lawsuit also allegedly takes aim at the city’s roadway layout and the lack of appropriate lighting, which the claim states makes the intersection where the man was killed even more dangerous.

The family’s attorney claims the City of Irvine has known about the dangerous intersection for some time. Allegedly, the city added temporary traffic signs after the accident and instructed police officers to keep an eye on the intersection. As members of America’s communities, we rely on cities to provide at least a reasonable amount of safety as we travel from one place to another on our roadways. When a city fails in this task, it makes sense to pursue legal action if only to remind our community leaders of the importance of keeping American citizens safe from harm.

Source: Orange County Register, “City sued by family of killed pedestrian” Kimberly Pierceall, Mar. 05, 2014

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