Victim's mom files suit against city in car crash incident

The mother of a young South Florida woman who was killed during a collision with a police officer is seeking civil damages for wrongful death. The 21-year-old victim died several days after the vehicle in which she was riding collided with a police cruiser on October 19, 2012.

Official police reports show the civilian driver, the woman's boyfriend, was to blame for the accident. Attorneys for the victims, however, claim to have tapes that show the officer driving irresponsibly while traveling to a non-emergency call. The officer allegedly travels at a high rate of speed in a 40mph zone, sometimes reaching speeds of 80 mph. The officer is also accused of ignoring a red light.

The suit also focuses on mismanagement of the crash scene. Even though the woman's boyfriend only suffered broken bones, he was transported to the hospital by air ambulance. The female victim, however, was taken to medical facilities by the slower ambulance method, although she was found unresponsive and in obvious medical distress.

The victim's mother, a Miami-Dade School Board member, said she has attempted to meet with officials in the town of Hialeah, but she has been summarily dismissed. The woman said she and her family members are still grieving the loss of their daughter, and they want those responsible to pay for their errors. The woman has filed a suit against the city and the police department.

Relatives in this case could recover damages for a variety of civil claims. The most obvious of these is wrongful death, but a civil suit could also be used to cover medical debt left from the woman's time in the hospital. Family members could also collect compensation for emotional distress, pain and suffering and loss of consort, among other claims. They made the right decision by choosing to contact a qualified personal injury attorney who can help them with the process.

Source: www.nbcmiami.com, "Mother of woman killed after crash with Hialeah police officer files wrongful death lawsuit vs. city" Justin Finch, May. 08, 2013