Recently a Virginia Beach man was killed when his car collided with a postal truck. The postal truck was turning onto Virginia Beach Boulevard from Scott Street at approximately 1:30 a.m. At the same time, the victim’s vehicle was coming down the overpass. The vehicle hit the trailer of the mail truck and the driver was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived. Police officers believe that the man ran a red light, causing the accident.
As Virginia Beach, Virginia wrongful death lawyers we know that in order to succeed in bringing a wrongful death claim in Virginia, North Carolina, or elsewhere, you have to prove the following four points:
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The death was caused, either in whole or in part, by the defendant.
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The death came about because the defendant was negligent or strictly liable for the death. This means, for example, you can’t file a wrongful death suit against your loved one’s doctor if your loved one died of cancer, unless the doctor did not take the normal and necessary steps that doctors take when battling a patient’s cancer.
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The death affected a surviving spouse, child/children, or other dependents of the victim who would be beneficiaries from a wrongful death settlement or jury verdict. Basically, this means the death of the victim must have personally damaged an immediate family member who can collect compensation.
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The death of the victim led to monetary damages.