An 85-year old woman died in Salt Lake, Utah, after an SUV traveling eastbound on 600 South ran a red light and smacked into the side of the woman’s vehicle. The woman, who had a green light, was heading northbound on 500 East at the time. According to KSL, the impact caused the woman’s car to jump the curb and crash into an iron gate. The accident happened at the intersection of 600 South and 500 East in Salt Lake City. Everyone was wearing a seat belt. The occupants in the SUV were unharmed.
It is unknown why the SUV ran the red light. Perhaps there was a distraction by a cell phone or text messaging. At any rate, Utah’s rules of the road require all vehicles to stop at red lights. We as citizens want to have assurances that other motorists on the road will obey traffic rules. When they don’t, as in this case, the safety of everyone is jeopardized. According to the KSL report, the city prosecutor is investigating criminal charges against the SUV driver. The charge most likely would be negligent homicide. This is a class A misdemeanor in Utah.
In this wrongful death case, the family of the woman who passed away should seek the counsel of a personal injury / wrongful death attorney. A lawyer who is familiar with these kind of motor vehicle crash claims would be able to advise the family as to the legal remedies that are available. In this kind of case, the family should be able to make a claim against the SUV driver and/or the driver’s insurance policy up to the limit of the available amounts. If the driver’s assets are significant, then a claim directly against the driver may also be possible. It is likely that the deceased’s auto policy, the “under-insured” part of it, will also pay out to the extent of the policy limit if a settlement is first reached against the at-fault driver. Further, under the woman’s policy, there is a component for funeral expenses that would be available in this sad situation.
Published by: Ron Kramer
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