Losing a child isn’t an easy experience for any parent. When that loss is because of the negligent actions of others, the pain of the loss seems to increase. For one family in West Virginia, some sense of closure likely came recently when the person responsible for a 17-year-old’s death was sentenced to a term in prison.
The fatal accident occurred when the Vietnam Veteran’s sedan crossed the median and struck the teen’s Ford Escort. The teen was killed and the man was injured. When the accident occurred, the teen was delivering pizza for the store his father manages. His mother never got to see her son graduate from high school because his death occurred mere months prior to graduation. She and her 14-year-old daughter addressed the convicted man at the sentencing.
The man responsible for the teen’s death was convicted of negligent homicide and traffic offenses in November of 2013 by a jury in the Jefferson County Circuit Court. The 66-year-old man was recently sentenced to two to 10 years in state prison.
This conviction is likely a small consolation for the grieving family. While nothing will bring back this son and brother who was killed in the accident, the family might be able to lessen the financial burden of the teen’s death by seeking compensation for his wrongful death. Consulting with an experienced West Virginia personal injury attorney can help the family to determine if they have claims to file for compensation. These might include claims for the teen’s final expenses and other costs related to his untimely death.
Source: Herald Mail Media, “W.Va. family of teen killed in drunk-driving crash face man convicted of DUI” Richard Belisle, Jan. 27, 2014
