About 5 miles north of Tahoka, Texas on U.S. Highway 87, an SUV driven by a 19-year-old woman hit a truck and then crossed the median into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with an RV, said a Department of Public Safety trooper. The SUV and the truck had been in the southbound lanes, and the RV was on the northbound side of the highway.
According to DPS, the SUV landed on its side in a ditch. The RV flipped and erupted into flames. The fire spread to the SUV. The woman trapped inside the burning SUV perished along with the man and woman, both age 72, who were traveling in the RV. They were from Alberta, Canada, and had been in Texas to visit their son in Austin.
The vehicles where the people died were completely destroyed in the fire. The DPS plans to continue its investigation about the cause of the fatal truck accident.
Sometimes official investigations of fatal car accidents assign fault to one or more drivers. Actions like drinking and driving or texting and driving can be labeled as negligent because the driver was failing in his or her obligation to drive safely. When a negligent driver causes a car wreck and someone dies, the victim’s surviving family member might decide to discuss a wrongful death claim with an attorney. Burial costs and lost income are examples of compensation typically collected with a wrongful death claim.
An Austin personal injury attorney might be able to identify evidence that would help the survivor show negligence and collect damages. The preparation of the lawsuit and negotiations with insurance companies are services that an attorney could also perform.
