New Bedford woman killed in Mattapoisett van rollover

A New Bedford woman has died after the van in which she was a passenger rolled over on Interstate 195 in Mattapoisett.

According to the Massachusetts State Police, the 53-year-old  woman was one of eight occupants of the Dodge Caravan that had been heading East around 12:30 p.m. on June 8.

As the van approached Exit 19, something happened and the 40-year-old woman who was driving van lost control.

Reports from the scene indicated that all the occupants were trapped in the wreckage of the van for a period of time. The driver had to be airlifted to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.

It is unclear whether the deceased woman died at the scene or only after medical crews tried to save her.

Authorities have not discussed the seven other occupants of the van, other than to say that they are between the ages of 31 and 75 and lived in Fall River or New Bedford.

Given that all the facts of this incident are not yet known, it would be premature to speculate about it. However, generally speaking, accidents in which someone is injured can sometimes give the harmed parties a cause of action, meaning the right to file a lawsuit. If a passenger in this van had done something to cause the van to lose control, for example, the family of the deceased woman might have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Although some people are by nature hesitant to take legal action, when lawsuits are successful, they can help people take significant steps forward in the process of becoming whole again. Many people eventually find that filing a lawsuit is worth their time and effort.

Source: The Boston Globe, “53-year-old New Bedford woman killed in Mattapoisett van rollover,” Jaclyn Reiss, June 9, 2013