Like other big cities in the country, many areas of New Orleans are busy with commercial activity, which draws traffic from pedestrians and motor vehicles. The French Quarter is, of course, heavily inundated with pedestrians on a daily basis. Accordingly, people driving through the area must be on the lookout for pedestrians on or near the roadways. Recently, however, someone driving through the French Quarter was apparently not taking appropriate precautions regarding pedestrian safety.
Early on New Year's Day, a 28-year-old man was standing near a crosswalk in the French Quarter when a driver in a black sedan hit him. Even worse, the vehicle that struck the man then dragged him all the way to U.S. Route 90 in Algiers. The car accident victim, who was a graduate of Harvard University and was visiting New Orleans with a friend, died of blunt force trauma. His family members recently laid him to rest in his former home state of Nebraska.
The driver of the black sedan did not stop after the accident; the New Orleans Police Department is still looking for that person. Once police find the driver, they will likely face criminal charges for the hit-and-run.
In addition to criminal charges, the victim's family will be able to pursue civil claims against the driver. Moreover, Louisiana law provides that special damages may be available when a reckless or drunk driver caused the accident.
Monetary compensation is a small consolation to families who lose a loved one in a car accident. A civil lawsuit is, however, also a means by which the family can hold the driver accountable for their actions. This is especially true and important in cases like this one where the driver hits a victim and flees the accident scene.
Source: WDSU6 News, "Family, friends lay to rest 28-year-old man killed in French Quarter hit-and-run," Juan Sanchez, Jan. 9, 2016
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