Man Found Dead Near Pioneer Avenue
On the morning of Friday, July 16, 2021, a 61-year old man was found dead in the vicinity of Tide Court and Pioneer Avenue in Woodland, California, according to city police officers.
Originally, reports came into the Woodland Police Department (WPD) shortly before 9:00 a.m. that a man had been shoved out of a vehicle and appeared to have sustained injuries consistent with having been shot. This information was posted on the WPD Facebook page shortly after a post from the police department warning residents to avoid Pioneer Avenue between East Beamer and East Main.
The initial reports of a potential gunshot wound were determined to be incorrect – upon investigation, the man was found to have been fatally injured in a vehicle hit-and-run incident.
Not long afterward, an observant Woodland resident called the police with information about a suspicious vehicle located on Gillette Drive in the vicinity of the 1600 block, which led to the arrest of Mario Lopez, a 19-year-old man from Woodland.
The identity of the deceased has not yet been released, pending notification of family.
Watch the YouTube video. Below is a news clip from CBS Sacramento reporting on the Woodland, California incident.
Hit and Run is Wrongful Death
A hit-and-run crash that results in the death of a pedestrian can be classified legally as wrongful death. The term “wrongful death” refers to a fatality that is caused by the wrongful actions of another person or entity.
A wrongful death insurance claim can be filed against a person or entity that caused the death of another as a result of negligence. Such a claim would be initiated by a representative of the deceased person’s estate and would seek monetary compensation for those closest to the victim. In most cases, the claimant would be next of kin – a spouse, parent, or child.
A successful wrongful death claim must prove the following:
- The person being sued owed the deceased person a duty of care.
- That duty of care was breached.
- The breach of that duty of care was a direct and proximate cause of the fatality.
- There are provable damages as a result of the death.
Types of Wrongful Death Damages
Losses that are recoverable economically in civil cases are known as damages. The types of damages potentially available in a wrongful death matter include:
- Any medical expenses that were incurred by the victim prior to his or her death that were the result of injuries caused by the negligence of the defendant
- Costs of the funeral and the burial
- The value of the departed person’s projected lifetime income
- The value of any household services that would have been provided by the deceased
- The loss of parental guidance (if applicable), care and nurturing
- The loss of consortium to a spouse, if applicable
- The loss of love and companionship that the departed would have provided
Woodland Wrongful Death Lawyer
Thank you for reading. I’m Ed Smith, a Woodland, California wrongful death lawyer. If your family has suffered the loss of a loved one caused by another person’s reckless actions, our compassionate injury lawyers would like to help. For free and friendly legal advice, don’t hesitate to contact us at (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400. We can discuss the specifics of your situation at no obligation to determine your best course of action.
It is a daunting task searching for the right lawyer for such an important matter. It may help with your decision to read what our past clients have said about our services on Avvo, Yelp, and Google.
To review some of our case conclusions, please visit our verdicts and settlements page.
Photo: Pixabay
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