Recovering Damages from a Fatal Indiana Car Accident
The road can be a dangerous place, and fatal accidents are all too common. If you have lost a loved one in a car accident, you may be unsure about what to do next. Even though filing a wrongful death lawsuit may be the last thing on your mind, it may begin to help you recover financially from your unexpected loss. If your deceased loved one was a primary caregiver, recovering damages from a wrongful death lawsuit may help ease the financial burden you may be feeling.
Sadly, a recent news article reported that four people died after a fatal accident in Spencer County, Indiana. The accident occurred on the highway when a car traveling northbound collided with a Jeep traveling westbound. All four passengers in the Jeep were pronounced dead at the scene.
What Are the Legal Penalties for an Indiana Fatal Accident?
If someone causes a fatal car accident, they may face both criminal and civil penalties. Under criminal law, a driver may be charged with reckless homicide under Indiana’s criminal code. To convict someone of a crime, a jury must find the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If the jury has even the smallest amount of uncertainty about the defendant’s guilt, they cannot convict the defendant of the crime. However, if the jury finds the defendant guilty, they may face both jail time and criminal fines. By contrast, a driver facing civil penalties is liable if a jury finds it is more likely than not that their carelessness caused the victim’s injuries. After a person dies in a fatal car accident, that person’s loved ones may seek to bring a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver who caused that person’s death. Civil penalties often come in the form of monetary damages to the plaintiff.