Can A Government Agency Be Liable For Wrongful Death?

Wrongful death claims are usually made by a victim’s family after someone dies as a result of an organization’s negligence. For instance, if a car manufacturer carelessly produced an automobile with faulty brakes, the families of those who died behind the wheel would file wrongful death claims against the manufacturer. Government agencies are not exempt from wrongful death claims. According to UT San Diego, a wrongful death claim has recently been made against the Poway Fire Department for the death of a 19-year-old woman back in June of 2013.

Photo of San Diego car accident

The victim was the passenger of a Honda Accord heading south on Midland Road around 4 a.m. on June 20. The driver of the Honda ran the red light at the intersection of Poway Road. At the same time, a fire truck responding to an emergency was driving east on Poway Road when it collided with the Honda, killing the 19-year-old passenger. Both the driver of the fire truck and the Honda share the blame for the death, but in very different ways. The motorist has pled guilty to charges of vehicular manslaughter, and the fire department faces the wrongful death claim.

“Fernandez and Capt. Page were allowing someone who had not yet passed the engineer’s exam to drive the truck,” according to the wrongful death claim. “The failure of the crew of the fire truck to use due care in the operation of the truck was the proximate cause of [the victim]’s death.” In addition, the fire truck was not using its siren at the time of the accident, so the motorist was ignorant to its approach.

“If the person who was actually licensed and certified to drive the truck had been doing so, the accident might have been avoided,” said the victim’s family’s attorney.

I Need A Wrongful Death Lawyer In San Diego

It does not matter if the entity responsible for the death of a loved one is an automobile manufacturer or a government agency, wrongful death claims can be made against any negligent entity to secure the compensation that the victim’s family needs to move forward. If you have lost a loved one due to a government agency’s negligence, our San Diego accident attorneys can help. The Bonnici Law Group, APC legal team will work tirelessly to secure the full compensation that you deserve for the emotional, physical and financial hardships incurred by the death. For more information, call our firm today at (619) 853-5101.

Bonnici Law Group, APC—San Diego car accident attorney

Source: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/feb/12/poway-fire-accident-courtney/