On a Sunday afternoon in September, one car overturned and erupted in flames, the other was left badly damaged after a car accident at the intersection of Griffin Road and Southwest 118th Avenue in Cooper City.
Tyrone White, captain of the Miami-Dade Police Department, was killed in the automobile accident.
Tyrnoe White’s wife and the mother of James White, Lisa, remains in the hospital.
The accident is actively being investigated by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
White is the father of New England Patriots running back and Fort Lauderdale native, James White, who had been told of the tragic accident only 90 minutes before Sunday’s night’s 35-30 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He had been listed by the Patriots as inactive for the game due to personal reasons.
During NBC’s broadcast, sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya said Patriots owner Robert Kraft offered to fly White immediately to Miami, but White declined and elected to remain in Seattle.
White has played for the Patriots for seven years. He’s been a captain for the last three seasons.
The New England Patriots’ players dedicated their team’s 36-20 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders the following Sunday to running back James White
It’s an unfortunate reality that fatalities can be a result of an auto accident throughout South Florida every day. Circumstances behind them are sometimes preventable and consequences of carelessness, negligence or intoxication while behind the wheel. Intoxication is a leading cause of crashes and can end in devastating injuries or even death.
When someone is injured in a car accident, they can sue the at-fault driver for compensation for sustained injuries. If a fatality is involved, surviving family members can bring the lawsuit against the at-fault driver.
Wrongful Death Legal Rights
A wrongful death is one that is caused by another person’s or business’ criminal, intentional, reckless, or negligent actions. Every case has their own set of circumstances surrounding the case, and an attorney will need to analyze them to see whether you have a valid wrongful death claim.
In an auto accident, the driver might be responsible if they:
- Proof of intoxication or under the influence of drugs
- Engaged in distracted driving
- Evidence of careless error, (example: failing to look in their rearview mirror when passing or backing up)
- Drove recklessly or aggressively, by speeding, swerving, or passing on the right
Additionally, a business can be held responsible in a wrongful death case. By example, a defective airbag, brakes or seatbelts malfunctioning might have been the root cause of death in the accident.
If you lost a spouse, parent, child, or relative due to the negligence of another person or entity, you should talk to a lawyer immediately to learn more about your rights.
Also, surviving family members could be entitled to compensation for losses associated with the wrongful death case, including:
- Loss of care
- Loss of companionship
- Lost wages and benefits that the deceased would have earned had they lived
- Emotional grief
How to calculate these losses can be difficult. Lost wages and benefits are somewhat speculative, especially if your loved one was young. No one knows with confidence what jobs they would have worked and how much they would have made.
Regardless, an experienced and knowledgeable wrongful death auto accident attorney will be able to estimate these amounts with you.
Although difficult to talk about, the fact is that driving a car is dangerous.
Almost 3 million Americans find themselves in a hospital emergency rooms annually because of auto accident injuries. Much of the time, the damage is invisible at first glance.
About 50% of ER visits are due to trauma from a car accident.
If your loved one was killed in a car accident in Florida, you may be entitled to seek remedy in the form of a wrongful death lawsuit. This is a civil action that allows immediate family members to seek compensation from drivers who were careless, reckless, drunk, distracted, aggressive, tired or inexperienced and in turn caused a death.
An attorney will be able to uncover evidence of liability you would never be able to get to on your own, using legal tactics such as depositions, interrogatories, expert testimony, and more.
We will fight to get you the best possible compensation from the parties who are responsible. Call today for a free case review. We’ll look at all the facts of your case and let you know what options are available in your situation.