A tragic pedestrian accident claimed the life of a Billings woman late last month. The woman was killed when she was struck by a pickup truck on Bench Boulevard in the Billings Heights.
According to Billings police, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred just after the pickup drove through a puddle about 150 feet from the point of impact. Water from the puddle temporarily covered the truck’s windshield. It wasn’t raining at the time so the driver did not have his windshield wipers on before he entered the puddle. When he turned the wipers on he saw the woman in front of him but he didn’t have time to stop.
When a pedestrian is hit by a motor vehicle the result is often fatal for the pedestrian. A sudden and unexpected loss like this can leave a family grief-stricken and wondering how they will cope. If the family depended on the victim for support, the family’s financial situation can become desperate very quickly.
When a loved one is killed in an accident caused by a negligent driver, surviving family members have the right to bring a wrongful death claim and recover compensation for their loss. The next of kin can recover monetary damages for loss of support, as well as loss of the care, comfort and companionship of the deceased. Funeral and medical expenses can also be recovered. The negligent driver’s insurance company will be responsible for paying the damages, up to the liability limits of the driver’s policy.
A financial recovery can in no way fully compensate a grieving family for their loss. But it can help them stay afloat financially and feel that some justice has been done in the wake of the tragedy.
Source: Billings Gazette, “Pedestrian killed in Heights collision is identified,” Jordon Niedermeier, June 1, 2015
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