Last month, a 25-year-old man who works as a New Hampshire Door Dash driver had finished his route and was on the way home to his fiancée and 1-year-old child when disaster struck. Another car came barreling across two sets of double yellow lines and slammed into the man’s vehicle. While the man initially survived the injuries he suffered upon impact in the collision, he died later that night after transportation to a hospital.
The driver deemed responsible for the collision received transportation to the same hospital. The hospital listed his condition as critical. A preliminary investigation did not show what had caused the man’s vehicle to veer across several lanes of traffic. A recent update on the 37-year-old man stated that he has since succumbed to his injuries.
A mother and child are now alone
This is not the first time a mother and child have been left alone following the loss of the other parent in a fatal collision. Such situations are especially difficult when the parent who dies was the primary breadwinner in his or her household. New Hampshire law allows the spouse of a fatally injured accident victim to file a wrongful death claim in a civil court when another driver’s negligence caused a collision.
In cases like this one, where the other driver has also died, one may still file a wrongful death claim against the person’s estate. When the court awards restitution in such cases, a surviving spouse may obtain financial relief by using monies to offset funeral costs or other expenses associated with the incident that resulted in a fatality. New Hampshire families who are grieving the sudden loss of loved ones may take comfort in support provided in their communities, including faith ministries, family groups and legal guidance that is available.