Fatal Accident Claims

Several factors are responsible for fatal vehicle collisions on UK roads. Some of them are man-made, such as over-speeding, while others are artificial factors over which the parties had no control. Below are the causes of fatal crashes on UK roads.

Disobeying Traffic Rules

Many fatal car accidents occur because drivers disregard traffic laws. For example, some drivers ignore traffic signs, crashing into vehicles with the right of way. In addition, exceeding road speed limits can also cause fatal collisions. Speeding increases the force of the accident impact. Therefore, the result is often worse than when a vehicle wasn’t speeding.

Drunk Driving

In 2020, 200 to 240 people died in Great Britain in crashes where at least one driver exceeded the drink-drive limit. Essentially, intoxication reduces a driver’s alertness. It also makes them slower when reacting to emergencies that occur while driving, such as a vehicle darting out of nowhere. Such reduced impulses thus increase the possibility of fatal crashes.

Yes, you can sue when someone’s wrongful action, neglect, or default kills your loved one. However, not every fatal collision will give a relative the right to sue.

Instead, you can only approach the court where the deceased party would have been to do so if they hadn’t died.

In addition, a fatal accident lawsuit is for the benefit of the dependents of the deceased victim.

Not everyone can file a fatal accident claim following a car crash death. Instead, the Fatal Accidents Act specifies the class of people who can approach the court. The law states that fatal accident actions must be instituted by or in the name of the executor or administrator of the deceased’s estate.

So, even the dependents cannot bring claims in their names, except in a few cases.

If your fatal accident claim succeeds in the UK, you can recover significant compensation. However, remember that you can only get a settlement if the deceased would have received the same payment had they lived.

Furthermore, several factors can affect your settlement which we’ve given below.

However, there is no definite amount you can get from a fatal accident settlement. The money you get often depends on the nature of the injury that resulted in the death.

The type of damages you’re entitled to also influences the amount of money you can receive. So, let’s look at the class of damages in a fatal accident claim.

Medical Bills

Not all fatal accident victims die at the crash site. Instead, some of them make it to the hospital, where they succumb to their injuries. However, at this point, they must have racked up significant medical bills.

Fortunately, you can recover all these sums in a successful fatal accident claim. If the accident victim didn’t die, the at-fault party would have still paid the medical bills. So, the court will make them pay even though the victim didn’t survive.

Funeral Expenses

After the deceased’s death, families usually hold funerals for them. But burying their dead will also increase their financial losses. From getting a casket to paying to use a cemetery, the bills keep growing. Whatever funeral option you choose will cost some money. Therefore, courts will generally grant compensation for the funds expended on the deceased’s funeral.

Fatal accident victims may leave other financial benefits for their survivors. For example life insurance, social security benefits, pension, or gratuity payments. Therefore, the deceased victim’s dependents and other beneficiaries can claim this money upon their death.

Luckily, courts or insurance agents cannot consider these sums when calculating fatal accident settlements. In addition, the Fatal Accidents Act expressly prohibits including these benefits when assessing damages for dependents. So, you can get accident compensation alongside these benefits.

Remarriage and Fatal Accidents Compensation

The surviving spouse is a significant dependent in a fatal accident claim. However, such a spouse may remarry before the suit concludes. If this happens, you may worry that remarrying will affect your compensation.
However, this isn’t the case in the UK. Courts will not consider a widow’s remarriage or marriage prospects when calculating a fatal accident compensation claim. So, you wouldn’t get less money simply because you remarried.