State Highway Patrol officials in Missouri have confirmed that an early Friday morning accident has taken the life of one, while resulting in serious injuries to two others. The car accident, which occurred in Simmons along US Route 63, involved two cars and a motorcycle. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol officials, the driver of a 2004 Kia Sorento initiated the accident by way of crossing the centerline, striking a 2003 Yamaha motorcycle heading the opposite direction, then careening into a 2008 Dodge Caliber nearly head-on, before the Sorento came to rest alongside a highway embankment. The crash location occurred near to the Simmons Ford Bridge, which is approximately 6 miles south of the city of Houston.
Authorities have confirmed that their initial investigation and witness statements provided in the immediate aftermath found that Sean Rief, of Bucyrus and the driver of the Kia Sorento, as well as the David Mathis, of Cabool and the driver of the Yamaha motorcycle, both sustained serious injuries in the multi-vehicle accident. County Coroners from the State of Texas confirmed that Amber Brignole, aged 30 of Licking and the driver of the Dodge Caliber, died at the scene of the accident as the result of her injuries sustained in the head-on collision.
WRONGFUL DEATH IN CAR ACCIDENT CASES
Pending further revelations by an investigation by the Missouri and Texas state officials, future wrongful death claims relating to this unfortunate accident are likely to emerge, alongside personal injury claims. In the case of wrongful death claims resulting from car accidents, any real party of interest is legally entitled to compensation for the loss of their loved one. Real parties of interest is a legal term subject to state statutory law, which generally encompasses immediate relatives, spouses and domestic partners, distant relatives with close relationships to the victim, any individual suffering financially from the loss of the victim including business partners or employers, as well as parents and dependents of the victim.
Subject to state jurisdiction and statutes, wrongful death claims in car accident cases can result in compensation for a number of damages sustained by loved ones or other real parties of interest, including: punitive damages in cases of criminal negligence,
- Economic damages for lost income earning capacity of the decedent,
- Economic losses for loved ones related to funeral arrangements of the victim, as well as well
- Non-economic damages such as loss of consortium, emotional and psychological distress, and mental anguish
- Finally, loved ones are entitled to recover the costs of legal counsel as they pursue claims against the parties responsible for the death of their loved one
It is important to note that wrongful death claims are subject to statutes of limitation for filings, which in the state of Texas stands at two years, save for a handful of exceptional circumstances.
