Child & Jackson can help you and your family through the aftermath of a fatal car accident in Folsom. It’s something no family wants to face, but an unfortunate byproduct of car accidents here is fatal injuries. That brings up a huge amount of questions, grief, and challenges. But our team can help you through it all. Set up a free consultation today.
Is a Lawyer Necessary After a Fatal Car Accident?
The short answer is no. You don’t have to get a lawyer after losing a loved one in a car accident. In fact, speaking with a lawyer may be the last thing on your mind right now. You’re mostly focused on informing the family about what happened, making funeral arrangements, helping each other through the loss, and simply trying to get through each day. Still, there often comes a point when practical questions start to surface.
- What exactly happened?
- Who was responsible?
- How are we supposed to handle the medical bills, funeral expenses, and loss of income?
- What happens if the insurance company calls?
Those questions can quickly become overwhelming, especially when you’re already dealing with grief. That’s where having a lawyer can help. Our job at Child & Jackson isn’t to make the situation more complicated. It’s to make it easier by:
- Looking into the underlying cause of the accident
- Gathering evidence and documentation
- Figuring out who may be responsible
- Handling talks with insurance companies
- Explaining your family’s options in plain language
Every family and every fatal car accident is different. What stays the same is that you shouldn’t feel like you have to carry everything on your own while trying to process such a significant loss.
Information That Can Help Your Family After a Fatal Car Accident
The hours and days after a fatal collision are often a blur. Many families don’t remember much beyond phone calls, hospital visits, and trying to make sense of what happened.Because of that, it’s completely understandable if gathering information isn’t your first priority.
If you’re able to, though, there are a few things that can be helpful later if your family decides to go forward with a claim:
- The police report that gives the basic details about the accident.
- Pictures/videos of the scene, including damage to the cars, roadway, and general conditions.
- Insurance information from the other driver.
- Contact information from any witnesses that saw the accident or were involved.
- Receipts/bills/other related expenses.
- Journals or medical records detailing the grief and pain the rest of the family is going through.
You don’t need to stress about collecting every document right now. Much of this information can be gotten later when our team starts an investigation. What’s more important is understanding that evidence doesn’t always stay available forever. Vehicle damage gets repaired. Surveillance footage gets erased. Witnesses become harder to track down.
How the Claims Process Works After a Fatal Car Accident
A fatal car accident might happen for the same general reasons in Folsom, but it’s very, very different than a normal car accident. A lot of that has to do with the pain and grief your family is going through, but it extends to the actual claims process.
First and foremost, a fatal car accident means filing a “wrongful death” claim. Not everyone can file this type of claim. California law generally gives that right to certain close family members, including:
- A surviving spouse
- Children
If there aren’t any surviving spouses or children, other surviving family members can step in to file. But one way or the other, this has to be set first before the actual claims process starts. After this, though, things start to look more familiar. It can be done through either an insurance claim outside of court or a lawsuit in civil court, where you can get “damages” that include:
- Funeral and burial costs
- Medical expenses related to the accident
- Lost financial support the person would have provided
- Loss of household services
- Loss of companionship, care, guidance, and support
A wrongful death claim can’t undo what happened or fill the space left by your loved one’s absence. But practically speaking, it can provide financial stability during an incredibly difficult time and is a way of helping your surviving family members so they aren’t left carrying the burden of someone else’s actions.
Liability and Fatal Car Accident Claims
One of the biggest questions after any fatal accident is who should be held responsible. That doesn’t change with a car accident. Simply put, it comes down to negligence. This means that:
- Someone failed to act with reasonable care and that failure led to the accident.
So it’s not any different than a regular car accident, except for one huge detail: the stakes are obviously much higher when the accident is fatal. Yet, it still comes down to what actually happened, and that means liability could fall on:
- The driver who caused the accident
- The owner of the vehicle
- An employer if the driver was working at the time
- A vehicle manufacturer if a defective part contributed to the collision
- A government agency responsible for unsafe roadway conditions
Like any car accident, multiple people and factors could be involved. That means the ultimate responsibility for what your family is left going through could be spread among multiple groups or insurance companies. That’s why it’s important to look at the details—especially where and how the accident happened in the first place.
Causes of Fatal Car Accidents in Folsom
Folsom is known for being a great place to live and raise a family, but like any growing city, it sees more than its fair share of car accidents—and any car accident can end up being fatal with the right conditions. And while they can happen anywhere in the city, they’re often more common on roads where there’s a lot of drivers and tough conditions like:
- East Bidwell Street
- Blue Ravine Road
- Iron Point Road
- Folsom Boulevard
- Green Valley Road
- Natoma Street
- Highway 50 and its entrances and exits
What all of these places have in common is that you see all of the underlying causes of car accidents there, especially:
- Drunk or impaired driving
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Fatigue
- Aggressive or reckless driving
- Vehicle problems
- Poorly maintained roads or signs
While every accident has its own story, one thing remains consistent: families are left trying to make sense of a loss they never expected. But with the right guidance and support from our team, you’ll have what you need to move forward.
Talk With a Folsom Fatal Car Accident Lawyer
Losing a loved one in a car accident can leave your family facing emotional and financial challenges all at once. While a legal claim won’t change what happened, it may help provide answers, accountability, and financial support during a difficult chapter of your life.
If your family has lost someone in a fatal car accident in Folsom, our team at Child & Jackson is here to help you understand your options and what the road ahead may look like. We’ll answer your questions, explain the process, and help you decide what makes the most sense for your family—starting with a free consultation.