Wrongful death claim to follow Massachsetts guilty plea?

The wheels of justice may sometimes seem to move ever-so slowly in some criminal cases while the family of a victim is waiting for justice for their loved one. One Massachusetts family may now decide to pursue a wrongful death suit in order to seek recompense for monetary damages after the death of their loved one. The man who was charged in the fatal accident recently entered a guilty plea to reduced charges.

The accident that killed the 48-year-old man occurred almost two years ago in Oct. 2012. The accused man was said to have been driving while intoxicated when he ran a red traffic signal. He then struck the pickup truck that was being driven by the victim. The 30-year-old man also suffered injuries in the fatal collision.

According to the records, the drunken driver had a blood alcohol level of .24, which exceeded the legal limit in Massachusetts by three times. The man was facing additional charges of manslaughter, which were dismissed as part of the man’s agreement to plead guilty. He was sentenced to serve six years in prison and an additional three years of probation for the charge of second degree vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol and driving carelessly.

The victim’s family has now witnessed the justice delivered by the Massachusetts criminal court system. While neither prison or civil litigation will change the circumstances that led to the loss of their loved one, there may still be the lingering financial harm created by final expenses and decreased income in the wake of this man’s untimely death. A successful wrongful death suit may allow them to be delivered of the monetary burdens while they continue to recover emotionally from this tragedy.

Source: therepublic.com, “Dalton man pleads guilty in drunken driving crash that took the life of a Worcester man”, , Sept. 10, 2014