A fatal cross-over accident occurred on US 127 in Casey County, Kentucky around 6:30 p.m. last Friday. This accident involved a vehicle crossing the center line of traffic and crashing into another vehicle traveling the opposite direction. Michael Beal, age 26, was tragically killed in this accident.
Kentucky civil laws related to tragic auto accident are not as compassionate as one would hope. They do not afford justice fully to a family who has lost a loved one. Often the legal damages that can be claimed in Kentucky Wrongful Death lawsuits is limited solely to the lost earning potential of the victims, and do not afford family members, other than spouses or younger children, compensation for the bereavement and emotional distress suffered.
Kentucky Wrongful Death Claims are very fact specific to the circumstances of the accident and the circumstances of the deceased victim’s life. The families of younger victims are compensated much more than the families of victims who are much older. As a result the laws can seem to disproportionately place a greater value on life at a younger age than an older age. The reality however is that the law is merely affording compensation for the lifetime of lost earning potentials, and a person who is young has lost more years of earning capacity than a person who is of the age of retirement.
It is this lack of compassion that causes families who have lost a loved one due to the negligence of others to feel that the legal system has failed them. Good legal representation is important, as it affords the family an objective and legally knowledgeable person who knows the laws and understands the limitations it can afford. As such, the families can focus on their grief and healing, while their lawyer can focus on the legalities and take that stress off of the families.
More information about Kentucky Wrongful Death Claims and the legal remedies afforded the families of victims can be found at www.kyfirm.com.