Decisions made in the immediate aftermath of an accident are sometimes determined by certain details regarding circumstances occurring in the moments just prior to a crash. Car accidents in Hawaii sometimes involve medical episodes suffered by a driver shortly before a collision occurs. When a person has been injured due to a driver who has undergone a medical episode at the time of the incident, he or she may still be able to seek compensation for damages. This may depend upon the other driver’s prior knowledge of the medical condition.
In a recent case, a 24-year-old man was driving when he apparently lost control of his vehicle and veered off the road. According to reports, his vehicle struck a truck that was exiting a shopping center, then went spinning into a nearby road sign. The vehicle continued to move out-of-control after striking the sign, hitting a pedestrian and ultimately coming to a halt after crashing into the front of a local shoe store.
The pedestrian was identified as an 81-year-old male. He was transported to an area medical center for emergency care but succumbed to his injuries several hours later. Fire fighters who were called to the scene reported that the driver of the vehicle had suffered a medical episode moments before losing control of the sedan. No other injuries were reported to have occurred in the incident.
Immediate family members of those killed in car accidents in Hawaii may take legal action against an at-fault driver in order to seek financial relief for damages sustained in their losses. When a driver’s fault involves a medical episode, those considering filing a claim will — with the help of their legal counsel — want to investigate further in order to determine whether the medical episode was brought on by an acute condition or if the driver had a history and knowledge of the condition (such as someone with a known history of seizures who continues to operate a motor vehicle despite the risk). If negligence or wrongful actions are determined to have been the cause of an accident, those who survive a decedent may seek compensation on behalf of his or her estate.
Source: staradvertiser.com, “Pedestrian, 81, killed in Wahiawa crash is identified”, April 6, 2015