When the truck she was riding in was violently rear-ended by a speeding car, Savannah Pheiffer probably never knew what hit her.
Few fatal car wrecks are accidents in the purest sense of the word. Most are caused by negligence. The driver of the speeding Pontiac that caused the four-car collision on Townsend Boulevard in Jacksonville was traveling more than 80 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone. The driver is in custody. Police believe alcohol was involved.
Twelve year old Savannah was one of eight people injured that day when the allegedly impaired driver struck the truck she was riding in. The force of the impact threw the truck into two other vehicles, all northbound on Townsend at about Merrill Road.
Savannah died from her injuries about a week after the early-April accident. When a loved one is killed through the negligence of others, the family can file a wrongful death action. While no amount of money can cure grief, it can pay bills and take away the stress associated with financial burden as a family transitions to the future.
Among other damages compensable under state statute, families of victims of wrongful death may recover:
The loss of a child — either as a youth or an adult — is a tragedy beyond words. In this case, a negligent driver ended the life of a young girl and altered the future of everyone who knew her. When you need answers about why your family member died, an experienced injury attorney can help.
If the life of a loved one is taken through the mistakes of others, speak to a law firm whose attorneys have experience handling wrongful death claims for compassionate support and aggressive legal representation.
Combs Greene Of Counsel attorney Mark Link, a wrongful death and personal injury lawyer practicing in Jacksonville, Florida, as well throughout all of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, also contributed to this blog post.