Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Ridesharing Operator

As she was changing a tire on eastbound Interstate 10, a hit-and-run driver struck and killed a 57-year-old woman. Few details were available about the wreck, but many details are available about the victim.

According to the family, the woman was changing a flat tire at the time of the wreck. “My wife called me. She had a flat, and she was letting me know. She hung up, came back on FaceTime, (and) let me know she had the tire on the vehicle, about to put lugs on the vehicle when the phone went black,” the victim’s husband said. “All I know is that somebody came through, hit my wife, and killed her. You continue to go, not realizing that you would do better by just turning yourself in because you’ve left the scene of the crime, you’ve already committed a fatality, and you’ve taken a life that belonged to somebody else. So it’s up to you whether or not you decide to turn yourself in or not. Because in the end, you will stand in judgment for it,” he added.

The only physical evidence at the scene, which was near the Frye Road exit, was a damaged and discarded white side-view mirror.

Why Work with a Lawyer

When a loved one suddenly and unexpectedly dies, a partnership with a Missouri City personal injury lawyer is probably the last thing survivors think about. That’s especially true if the decedent had a life insurance policy that paid final ex[enses and gave some financial benefits to survivors. Furthermore, if the tortfeasor (negligent driver) left the scene, survivors may think there’s no point in pursuing a legal action. That’s especially true if, as is usually the case, law enforcement investigators throw up their hands and say there’s nothing they can do.

But from a compensation standpoint, and more importantly from a responsibility standpoint, a wrongful death action is usually a good idea.

Life insurance benefits are based on the policy’s coverage limit, and nothing else. Wrongful death lawsuit benefits are based on the tortfeasor’s degree of culpability, along with the actual emotional and financial losses of survivors. As a result, the compensation in a wrongful death lawsuit much more effectively assuages grief than life insurance benefits.

In simple terms, at this point, the best thing survivors can do is move on with their lives. A personal injury action makes that much more of a possibility.

Compensation is important, but maybe not as important as closure. A Sugar Land hit and run accident lawyer obtains that closure by holding the tortfeasor responsible for the accident. Some available tools are outlined below.

Legal Issues in Hit-and-Run Claims

Law enforcement investigators don’t aggressively pursue hit-and-run cases for several reasons. Some officers believe these matters are civil disputes and not police business. The burden of proof in criminal court is probably a bigger reason.

Prosecutors must establish guilt beyond any reasonable doubt. Usually, unless someone confesses or a competent witness got a good look at the driver, the evidence falls short.

But the burden of proof in civil court is only a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not). So, a Missouri City personal injury lawyer must normally only identify the driver. It’s more likely than not that the owner was driving the vehicle at any given time.

A vague vehicle description might be enough. In the above story, officers believe that the tortfeasor drove a white vehicle with a missing side mirror. If a surveillance camera or other witness saw a white vehicle with a missing side mirror near the scene of the accident, that vehicle was, more likely than not, the hit-and-run vehicle. A private investigator only needs a partial license plate number to locate the owner.

Reach Out to a Dedicated Harris County Attorney

Injury victims are entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Missouri City, contact the Henrietta Ezeoke Law Firm. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.

Source:

abc13.com/lyft-driver-killed-uber-drivers-aminah-gardner-death-woman-dies-while-changing-tire/13453369/