A string of fatal accidents in the Phoenix area have prompted the team at Wattel & York to urge motorists to exercise caution when on the Arizona roadways this year. Accidents were attributed to a variety of factors, but one thing remains consistent: those that are injured or killed in these accidents are not necessarily the ones at fault. However, accident victims do have recourse through a personal injury lawsuit, which can be used to pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages and non-economic losses.
Fatal accident Christmas night
On December 25, a fatal accident took the lives of two Maricopa teens. Josiah Abbott, 15, and Morgan Martin, 14, were both killed when the pickup truck they were riding in rolled over. The truck was driven by family friend William Gray, 23. According to a spokesperson from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department, Gray was driving at high speeds when the vehicle lost control, hit a curb and rolled over. None of the occupants in the truck were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash and all were ejected on impact. Martin and Abbott died at the scene, while Gray received only minor injuries.
More fatalities this year
One woman died and another was injured after their vehicle was found submerged in Maricopa Lake. Eileen Brown allegedly crashed her Chevy Venture van into the lake in the morning of January 12. Brown died at the hospital later that day and a passenger in the van, Bernadette Lopez, 59, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. At the time of the accident, investigators were looking into circumstances that might have caused the van to go off the road and into the lake.
Fog was the culprit in a fatal accident that took the lives of a mother and daughter just two days later. Leslie Wesley, 47, was driving a Pontiac sedan in Casa Grande near the Wal-Mart distribution center when the accident occurred. Due to the thick fog in the area, Wesley ran through a stop sign she could not see and collided with a Wal-Mart semi-truck. Wesley and her 13-year-old daughter Jenna died at the scene, while two other teen passengers were transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. Both were expected to recover.
On January 22, a man in a wheelchair was struck by a vehicle and killed at 34th Street and Thomas Road in Phoenix. The man was near the crosswalk when he was hit and rescue crews found him in extremely critical condition when they arrived at the scene. According to AZ Family, the name of the victim had not been released and the driver responsible for the accident remained at the scene.
Getting legal help
Car accidents occur in the Phoenix area every day, some resulting in little more than a dented fender and a minor disruption to your daily schedule. Others, like the ones listed above, can change lives in a split-second. Severe injuries that require ongoing medical care or the death of a loved one affect the victim and families for a lifetime. Financial stress from hospital bills, funeral expenses and lost wages can also take their toll on the entire family.
When you are the victim of a car accident that was not your fault, the consequences seem that much more unjust. You now face a mountain of expenses you weren’t expecting from a crash you did not cause. The Phoenix wrongful death lawyers at Wattel & York understand this challenge and work with clients every day to help them collect the compensation they are legally entitled to.
If you have been hurt in a crash, we can help. Contact our Phoenix car accident lawyers for a free case review at 1-877-225-5562.
Resources:
Accident Data Center, Accident Reports Phoenix, http://accidentdatacenter.com/accident-report-researcher?search_api_views_fulltext=phoenix
AZ Family, Man in Wheelchair Struck, Killed by Vehicle in Phoenix, http://www.azfamily.com/news/Man-in-wheelchair-struck-killed-by-vehicle-in-Phoenix-289534381.html
AZ Central, Foggy Blamed for Casa Grande Crash that Kills Mother, Teen, http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/pinal/2015/01/14/foggy-collision-kills-two-in-casa-grande/21751777/
KPHO, Tragedy Strikes AZ Family Twice in 7 Years, http://www.kpho.com/story/27725418/tragedy-strikes-az-family-twice-in-7-years