WOMAN DIES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT

According to police, an 88-year-old woman died after being struck by an out-of-control vehicle while walking in Saanich on July 20. Before the accident, the victim had been walking near the intersection of Hillcrest and Tyndall avenues. Saanich police say investigators are still trying to determine what caused the collision, and they are looking into whether the driver may have had a medical emergency.

According to investigators, the incident occurred when a 2009 Toyota Corolla driven by a 43-year-old woman lost control and swerved across the centreline. After the vehicle hit the elderly pedestrian, it flipped over and came to a stop overturned. The car driver and the pedestrian were both transported to hospital, and the elderly woman was later pronounced dead.

After an accident like this, family members of the deceased victim may wait until the cause of the crash is determined before they file a wrongful death claim. If the accident involved a medical emergency, the driver could still possibly be held liable for causing the crash if a doctor had warned her not to get behind the wheel. A lawyer for the deceased person’s family may be able to help them to gather evidence that establishes that the driver’s medical condition was previously known to impair her ability to drive if that turns out to be the case.

Family members of a person killed in a car accident by no fault of their own may ask the driver at fault for compensation for their economic losses. These losses may include end-of-life medical expenses and funeral expenses. The parents, children or spouse of the victim are entitled to file a wrongful death claim.

Source: Saanich News, “Woman, 88, dies after being struck by out-of-control vehicle in Saanich“, July 21, 2014