Anyone who has ever driven a vehicle knows that driving has many inherent risks. Driving well is a combination of knowing a vehicle’s handling ability and estimating another motorist’s driving ability. The risks of an accident are never completely eliminated and the possibility of an unexpected event on a roadway always causes concern. Experienced drivers learn to compensate for such surprises. But experience does not eliminate the shock and sadness of a fatality on the road, no matter what the reason for the car accident or who may be responsible.

In a recent fatal incident that occurred on a highway near North Branford, Connecticut, the driver of a southbound car died in a crash with a dump truck. A statement by local police revealed that the highway was closed for hours while the driver was removed from the damaged vehicle by emergency workers and transported to a hospital in New Haven, Connecticut where he was declared dead. The condition of the dump truck driver is not known and the cause of the accident is still being investigated.

Accidents involving fatalities are often more than tragic for relatives as they struggle to understand why the accident happened and what to do next. The legal proceedings that follow also can hinder acceptance of the accident and their loss, instead forcing their energies on following court proceedings where necessary.

For instance, essential from an investigative perspective is to establish who was at fault for the accident. This helps resolve liability and also settles the issue of who should be awarded compensation. While the victim’s family may not care much for compensation, they may at least come to know of the circumstances of the death.

Source: New Haven Register, “One dead in North Branford Route 22 accident,” May 6, 2014