Driver Charged in Fatal Milwaukee Hit-and-Run with Motorcyclist
On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Wrongful Death on Tuesday, September 11, 2012.
On the first of the month, a motorcyclist was riding in the south side of Milwaukee when a passenger car crossed his path. The two parties collided and the passenger car quickly fled the scene of the accident. The driver is reported to have been operating the vehicle without a license, which may have contributed to prompting him to flee the scene — he sped off not knowing if the motorcyclist was injured or even alive.
He returned the car to his girlfriend. She saw the damage to the rear of the car and the pair decided to hide the car at the home of a friend. The motorcyclist could not overcome his injuries sustained for this hit-and-run accident and passed away. When the offending driver and his girlfriend heard about the death of the motorcyclist, the pair alleges to have decided to go to police, but never did.
Unfortunately for the driver and his girlfriend, the sister of the girlfriend knew that the boyfriend was involved in the accident and reported the information to Milwaukee police. Consequently, the boyfriend was charged yesterday with hit-and-run causing death. Additionally, the girlfriend is facing charges of aiding or abetting a felon.
However, the boyfriend could be facing a civil suit in addition to the criminal charges. In instances where a driver’s negligence causes the death of another party, the family of the decedent can choose to file a wrongful death claim as a means of seeking justice. If successful, such a claim could mean that the family is compensated not only for the financial hit surrounding the death of a loved one, but also the emotional pain endured as a result.
Source: Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, “Car driver charged in death of Milwaukee motorcyclist,” Bruce Vielmetti, Sept. 10, 2012
Our firm handles similar case to that detailed above. For more information, please visit our Milwaukee fatal car accident page or contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney with Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. to schedule a consultation.