A Louisiana man struck by a vehicle was declared brain dead on Sept. 5. According to the report, the accident took place on Aug. 25 as the man was attempting to walk his bike across E. Washington Street in Baton Rouge.
The prognosis was determined by doctors after the man, aged 55, was brought out of a medically induced coma. At this time, the man’s family reported that the injuries he suffered were too severe for any potential recovery. At the time the report was released, authorities stated that they were still searching for the driver who had caused the accident.
A driver may cause a hit-and-run accident for a number of reasons. In some cases, the driver may not realize that they had hit someone. Some drivers may panic and drive away while others may have a warrant out and do not want to get into further trouble with the authorities. Regardless of the reason, drivers are responsible for stopping and providing whatever aid to the injured person that they can. If they fail to do so, they may be charged with additional offenses once the authorities determine who was responsible for causing the incident.
If a pedestrian dies as a result of the accident, their family members may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim against the driver once the driver’s identity is known. This type of lawsuit allows the family members to seek compensation for any damages that they suffered as a direct result of the death of their loved one. Depending upon the circumstances of the case, they may be able to recover the cost of any medical or funeral bills that they are responsible for, any lost income if the deceased person was a financial provider and even loss of companionship.
Source: WAFB, “Man declared brain dead after hit-and-run on E. Washington Street“, Amber Stegall, September 05, 2014
