Louisiana horse racing fans may recall that Jerry Meaux was the chairman of the state’s racing commission. The longtime horseman was appointed as chairman in 2008. He served in that capacity until recently when he was involved in a fatal accident.
As Meaux traveled on Louisiana Highway 342, another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction veered out of his lane and into Meaux’s lane. With no time to react, the two vehicles collided head-on. Meaux, age 74, suffered severe injuries and did not survive long enough to be taken to a hospital.
The 22-year-old driving the vehicle that hit Meaux’s pickup truck was taken into custody. He is currently charged with vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated and failing to maintain his lane. The investigation is ongoing.
If it turns out that the driver was intoxicated, this case may serve as a reminder to others not to drink and drive. With all of the information available regarding the dangers of driving under the influence, people still often get behind the wheel of a car after they have consumed alcohol. Each year, drunk drivers kill thousands of people. Sadly, Meaux is now part of those statistics.
The wife he left behind may struggle with adjusting to life without her husband. Fortunately, it appears that she has plenty of family to rally around her in her time of grief. It will not bring her husband back, but she may exercise her right to file a wrongful death claim against the responsible driver. Proving his negligence could result in her receiving an award for the damages she incurred as a result of the fatal accident that left her a widow.
Wrongful Death
Louisiana State Police Say Passenger Lied About Fatal Accident
Back on Dec. 20 of last year, the Louisiana State Police responded to an accident involving a single vehicle occupied by three people. Troopers had their doubts about how the accident occurred, and they recently confirmed those doubts. One of the men that survived the accident claimed to be a passenger in the vehicle, but the authorities now believe that he was actually the driver in this fatal accident.
At first glance, it appeared that the 14-year-old occupant of the vehicle was driving when he lost control and caused the vehicle to roll. All three occupants were thrown out of the vehicle during the crash. The young teen died because of the injuries he suffered in the crash. The two alleged passengers, a 21-year-old man and an 18-year-old man, suffered moderate to serious injuries and were taken to an area hospital for treatment.
Further investigation into the incident revealed that the two survivors may have manipulated the scene and even removed evidence that would have told the real story behind the crash. Louisiana State Police troopers now believe that the older man was driving. They also believe that he was driving while impaired and — along with the help of the other survivor — attempted to cover up these facts by blaming the crash on the deceased teen. Authorities filed charges against the two men, reflecting these new facts.
It is unfortunate that the family of the young boy that lost his life in this crash had to spend time believing he had caused his own death and injured two others. Knowing the truth does not bring back the victim, but it may give the family some peace of mind. Further, the family may file a wrongful death claim seeking damages sustained because of this fatal accident. Any monetary award received will never make right what happened, but a successfully presented claim may help with the financial burdens that accompany such tragedies.
Ironman Training Cut Short by Fatal Accident for 2 Louisiana Men
Many Louisiana residents looked forward to the Ironman competition that took place in the Big Easy on April 13. Two men training for the event never got to compete. The men were involved in a fatal accident on Friday, April 11, just two days before the race.
The cyclists were traveling east on Chef Menteur Highway when a vehicle slammed into them from behind. One of the riders, a 36-year-old man, suffered fatal injuries at the scene. The other rider, a 40-year-old man, suffered injuries described as serious. It was not reported whether those injuries were life-threatening, and there was no further information provided concerning his updated medical condition.
New Orleans police officers do not yet know what caused the driver of the vehicle to hit the two bicycle riders. Authorities called in a fatality investigator. As of last report, criminal charges had not been filed in the incident, but that determination could be contingent on what the investigator reports.
Every Louisiana driver is responsible for using caution when driving. When a driver fails in this duty of care, the result can be catastrophic to the driver and passengers, as well as everyone else on or near the roadway. In this case, the two bicyclists paid a severe price — one with his life.
As authorities work to determine whether the driver’s actions warrant criminal charges, the injured rider and the family of the deceased rider retain the right to file civil actions in connection with this fatal accident. Successfully proving to the court that the driver was negligent and that negligence led to the injuries — fatal or otherwise — suffered by the victims, could result in an award of monetary damages to the plaintiffs. Any financial damages received could ease the financial burdens undoubtedly forced upon the family of the decedent and the injured man.
Louisiana State Police Says Charges are Pending in Fatal Accident
Louisiana State Police troopers are still attempting to determine the reason for a crash that occurred in the early afternoon hours of March 31. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the fatal accident. However, as is the case in any accident involving a death, authorities took toxicology samples from the drivers involved and sent them for testing.
Other avenues of investigation are ongoing as investigators await the results of the tests from the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab. So far, it has been determined that three vehicles were involved in the crash. A vehicle heading east on U.S. 90 somehow ended up careening across the median and into the westbound lanes of the highway, where it struck two vehicles.
All three drivers were properly restrained at the time of the crash. Despite that, one of the westbound drivers suffered injuries that turned out to be fatal. The 47-year-old man died later the same afternoon at an area hospital. Authorities indicated that the eastbound driver’s injuries to be moderate, and her current condition is not known. The third driver survived the crash with only minor injuries.
It is also not known when a determination will be made as to whether criminal charges will be filed against the eastbound driver. Even if no criminal charges are filed, the family of the deceased driver retains the right to file a wrongful death claim against the driver. The court may award the family damages sustained in connection with the fatal accident if the family can prove the driver was negligent with respect to the fatal accident.
Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Causing Fatal Car Accident
Around 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 7 of last year, a woman was traveling on Interstate 610. She was on her way to work as a police dispatcher in the Big Easy. The Louisiana woman would never make it there. Instead, she became the victim of a fatal car accident.
Authorities say a 28-year-old man with a blood alcohol level of .25 managed to get behind the wheel of his Jeep and head toward the Interstate. His blood alcohol level was over three times the Louisiana legal limit. When he got onto the Interstate, he was traveling the wrong-way and slammed head-on into the woman’s vehicle. Emergency personnel rushed the woman to an area hospital with internal injuries and broken bones.
Hospital personnel did what they could for the woman, but it became clear she would not survive. The next day, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) dispatcher was placed on life support. The 32-year NOPD veteran was an organ donor, so she was kept alive long enough for medical personnel to harvest her organs.
On March 21, the drunk driver pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle. The judge sentenced him to a prison term of 7.5 years. Separately, the victim’s family may exercise its right to file a wrongful death claim against the driver, offering proof of his plea and sentence as evidence of his negligence. If a civil court is satisfied that the drunk driver was negligent, it may award the family damages in connection to the loss of the 51-year-old victim in this tragic fatal car accident.
Impairment Suspected in Fatal Accident on I-55 in Louisiana
Louisiana State Police officers closed a portion of southbound Interstate 55 for several hours on March 11 while they investigated and cleaned up a three-car crash. Three people were injured and two people lost their lives in the fatal accident. Officers suspect that impairment was a significant factor in the crash.
The driver suspected of being impaired was traveling north on Interstate 55 in the southbound lanes between Ruddock and Manchac. His vehicle and another vehicle ended up colliding head-on. A third vehicle was able to avoid colliding with the two vehicles, but the fluids spilling out from the wrecked cars onto the road caused the driver to lose control and slam into a guardrail.
The 32-year-old wrong-way driver suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. Emergency personnel transported the two passengers in his vehicle to area hospitals for treatment of moderate injuries. The driver of the vehicle the wrong-way driver slammed into survived the crash, but later succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. The driver of the third vehicle refused medical treatment for seemingly minor injuries.
Louisiana State Police investigators are awaiting the results of toxicology tests to confirm or deny whether the driver of the northbound vehicle was impaired at the time of this fatal accident. Obviously, no criminal charges could be filed against the man since he died in the crash, but the family of the other deceased driver and the injured victims may file civil actions against his estate. Damages such as medical costs, pain and suffering and other financial losses recognized by our wrongful death and personal injury laws may be awarded if negligence is proved to the satisfaction of the court.