California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
A young student walking to Pacific High School was killed after being hit by a speeding car in San Bernardino, California. The student, Jade Maldonado, was only 14 years old. The San Bernardino hit-and-run accident occurred in the morning before school, just after 7 a.m., as she was walking to class.
According to the San Bernardino Sun, Jade was crossing in a marked crosswalk when she was hit by a car that immediately fled the scene. The car was described as a Tan 2000-2004 GMC SUV. The vehicle was traveling approximately 40-50 mph when Jade was hit.
Jade was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center. Doctors performed surgery in attempts to save her, but Jade passed away later that day. The school district released a statement offering their condolences and letting parents and students know that school counselors are available to speak with students struggling because of this tragic accident. Police ask anyone with information about this hit-and-run accident to contact them immediately at 909-383-4247.
Unfortunately, hit-and-run accidents are a tragic and far too common occurrence on California streets. Many drivers think they will not get caught after causing an accident and leave the scene. However, it is important to remember that it is illegal to leave the scene of a car accident without exchanging information with the other drivers involved.
In this case, the family of the victim should contact a San Bernardino personal injury lawyer to help in the investigation and locating the hit-and-run driver. If the driver is located in this case, hit-and-run wrongful death damages may be sought by Jade’s family against the driver. This would be in addition to any criminal charges the driver will be facing. Wrongful death damages help families when they have to deal with the unexpected loss of a loved one due to the careless actions of another. These damages can help cover the unplanned expenses the family now faces including ambulance or hospital costs, funeral and burial expenses, and loss of earnings and income.
In a hit-and-run accident, even if the driver is not found, there may still be options for the family. For example, if the victim has an uninsured motorist policy, the wrongful death lawyer can help the family make an uninsured motorist claim, regardless of whether the culprit is located. In this case, the uninsured motorist insurance would take the place of the driver, and be responsible for the wrongful death damages.
In either case, the victim’s family should always contact an experienced wrongful death attorney who can help ease their burden during this difficult time by helping them handle the details of their case from the investigation to the filing of the case.
We wish the family of Jade Maldonado our sincerest condolences for their tragic loss. We hope that through a thorough investigation the driver of the hit-and-run vehicle can be located and brought to justice. If anyone has any information on the vehicle or driver that caused this wrongful death, we urge them to contact police.