A Missouri man was recently accused by a prosecuting attorney in a criminal case of refusing to take responsibility for his actions that led to the tragic death of a 12-year-old girl in Nov. 2013. After about three hours of deliberation, a jury convicted the man of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7. Criminal convictions of responsible parties typically benefit any civil lawsuits that may be filed by families who have lost loved ones in car accidents.

According to accident reports, the 35-year-old man was traveling on an Audrain County road at a speed exceeding 75 mph on a November evening in 2013. He apparently proceeded to pass a pickup truck that had slowed down with the intention to make a left turn. He smashed into the truck’s left side with such force that his car veered off the roadway. The car overturned and landed in a ditch.

The 12-year-old girl who was a passenger in the front passenger seat reportedly died on impact. It was also mentioned that the drivers of the car and the pickup truck were involved in a game of CB-tag that is a type of hide-and-seek game played by drivers. The accident was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Major Crash Investigation Unit.

Parents in Missouri who have lost children in car accidents that resulted from the negligence or reckless driving of adults who were entrusted with the safety of the children will naturally desire to see justice done. At the same time, the surviving family members may have to face the many financial consequences of such a tragic death. Successfully documenting negligence by appropriate evidence of wrongdoing in a wrongful death claim may lead to a civil court entering a monetary judgment. All claimed financial losses must be properly documented for consideration by the court.

Source: columbiatribune.com, “Audrain County jury convicts Centralia man for accident that killed 12-year-old“, Oct. 21, 2015