Cross-border personal injury and death in head-on crash

When injuries are suffered, and lives are lost in car accidents that are caused by the negligence of other parties, personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits often follow. These are typically challenging times which can be made even harder if it involves cross-border personal injury. When residents of British Columbia or another Canadian province are injured or killed in crashes in the United States, the laws of both countries may come into play — along with the insurance laws of both sides of the border.

One such an accident occurred in a U.S. state on a recent Thursday evening. Reportedly, a car that was occupied by four Canadian residents was westbound when a driver of an eastbound vehicle veered across the centre and entered their travel lane. A devastating head-on collision followed.

The two rear-seat passengers — both 66-year-old men — were killed on impact. The 46-year-old driver of that car suffered minor injuries, but the 60-year-old woman who was in the front seat was critically injured. The driver of the car that crossed into the westbound lane suffered injuries of undisclosed severity.

If British Columbia families suffer such tragic losses of family members who are travelling in the United States, they will likely be unsure of the appropriate steps to take. This is where the skills of an experienced cross-border personal injury lawyer can be invaluable. A lawyer who deals solely with such cases can navigate wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits while also assisting with dealings that involve the insurance companies of both countries.

Source: seattletimes.com, “2 Canadians die in head-on car crash in Connecticut”, Sept. 18, 2017