Auto accident kills boy, injures 4 in Illinois

Losing a loved one in a car accident is traumatic, but amid the grief, it can also cause outrage. This is particularly true if the person who reportedly caused the accident was disobeying a rule of the road and driving carelessly. It is within the rights of the surviving family members of the deceased victim to seek financial damages in such a situation, which can give them a sense of closure in such a heartbreaking auto accident.

A boy recently died in a single-car crash in Illinois. The accident reportedly happened when a 13-year-old girl decided to go for a joyride and drive her friends around, including the boy. However, the vehicle ended up colliding with a tree.

The boy died in the wreck. Four other passengers in the vehicle suffered injuries and were taken to the hospital. The 13-year-old girl who police said caused the crash was charged with reckless homicide as well as possession of a stolen vehicle and reckless conduct.

The families of the minors who were injured have the right to pursue monetary damages as part of personal injury claims, which can help ease pain and suffering and cover medical expenses. The family members of the deceased boy also reserve the right to seek reimbursement of financial damages as part of a wrongful death claim, which can help with funeral costs and other expenses recognized under state law. If the driver who is deemed to have caused the auto accident is found guilty of her criminal charges, proof of the conviction might be used to establish liability in a civil proceeding in Illinois, and her parents could be held liable for any damages awarded.

Source: New York Daily News, Illinois girl, 13, charged with homicide in tragic joyride crash death of friend, Michael Walsh, Dec. 8, 2013