Two Fatalities Occur in Accident at East Fifth Avenue Intersection
A serious two-vehicle crash occurred in Chico on January 30 that resulted in two fatalities. The collision was reported by the Chico Police Department as occurring shortly before 5:00 p.m. at the East Fifth Avenue intersection with Neal Dow Avenue. The crash involved two vehicles and three people.
Authorities Seek Driver Who Fled the Scene of a Two-Vehicle Crash
One of the vehicles involved crashed into a residence located at the corner of the intersection. Officials determined that two parties in of the cars suffered fatal injuries while another was transported to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The Butte County Coroner’s Office has recently identified the decedents as 24-year-old Courtney Kendall and 22-year-old Cassi Tejada. Separate GoFundMe pages have been established on behalf of the families of Courtney Kendall and Cassi Tejada to help with final resting expenses.
Authorities also announced in a recent press release that a 31-year-old Oroville man was arrested on two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol. According to the Butte County District Attorney, the Oroville man has a history of previous DUI convictions with one in Oregon in 2016 and another in Nevada County in 2020. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to reach out to the Chico PD traffic unit.
Compensation May Be Claimed in Cases of Wrongful Death
Since 1982, we have represented many families whose loved ones have been killed in wrongful deaths. A wrongful death is one caused by negligence, such as in a two-vehicle crash, a motorcycle or bicycle accident or one caused by an outside force such as a badly maintained roadway or defective auto part.
Even though it does not ease their grief, obtaining compensation can provide closure and justice to grieving family members. Furthermore, filing for wrongful death helps the family by avoiding the financial stresses caused by the sudden passing of a loved one.
In a Wrongful Death Case, What Damages May Be Recovered?
The executor of the deceased’s estate may file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of immediate family members. There are a number of types of wrongful death compensation awarded:
- The cost of the funeral and burial of your loved one can be recovered.
- In the event that the decedent had lived, they would have received wages, a pension and insurance benefits, bonuses and other earnings that accumulated until their retirement age. The family would be entitled to recover compensation for that loss.
- Damages may be recovered when there is a loss of inheritance.
- If either spouse survives, he or she is often entitled to damages for the loss of consortium, comfort, support and affection provided by the deceased.
- When a parent dies, his or her children, whether natural or adopted, can seek compensation for the guidance, nurturing and training they lost. Children of a stepparent may join a claim if they have obtained at least 50 percent of their financial support from the decedent. Children of the deceased descendant’s offspring may also join in the claim.
- If the loved one who died lived for a period before passing away, a survival action can be filed on the deceased person’s behalf. In this case, damages can be similar to those for wrongful death, however, the decedent’s medical expenses are also covered.
- Loss of services, which include household chores performed by the decedent, such as preparing a yearly tax return, raising children, or gardening, can also be claimed for damages in the event of a wrongful death.
- In cases where an egregious or intentional act caused the death, the family may ask for punitive damages. Punitive damages do not replace the losses suffered by the family. The objective is generally to punish and discourage people from committing similar behaviors.
Chico Wrongful Death Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Chico wrongful death lawyer. There are few things worse than losing a loved one in a traffic accident. If a negligent driver was the cause, your family may be able to place a wrongful death claim. You are invited to contact us for free and friendly advice at (530) 392-9400 to set up a virtual appointment where you can get your questions answered, have your case reviewed and discover what options there are to recover compensation. We can also be contacted at (800) 404-5400 or online.
Follow the links below to learn how our injury lawyers have helped others who filed claims get fair compensation:
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Photo attribution: Image by Andreas Lischka from Pixabay
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