When there is a car accident in Louisiana, people who are in one run the risk of suffering catastrophic injuries and even fatalities. There can be numerous reasons for these crashes to occur including a reckless, distracted or otherwise negligent driver. Motor vehicle accidents sometimes gain widespread publicity because of the motorists involved, as was the case with one that occurred in California in February 2105 with reality television star Caitlyn Jenner driving one of the vehicles.
Ms. Jenner was involved in a multi-vehicle crash that led to the death of a 69-year-old woman. After the accident investigation, it was decided that no criminal charges will be filed against her. The sheriff’s department, however, had earlier found that she was driving at too high a rate of speed when taking into account the weather conditions, however.
Had the prosecutors felt there was justification to do so, they could have filed a charge for misdemeanor manslaughter. However, since Ms. Jenner was not believed to have been speeding, was not driving in a reckless manner, did not leave the scene, was driving with traffic and was not using a cellphone, they felt that there was no basis to pursue a case.
Although Ms. Jenner will not be charged with a crime, she is a defendant in a civil wrongful death action that has been filed by two of the stepchildren of the woman who was killed in the car crash. A personal injury attorney can explain to the surviving family members of a decedent who was killed in such an accident that a wrongful death action can proceed even if no criminal charges are filed, as the burden of proof is lower in civil cases than it is in a criminal trial.
Source: NBC News, ‘Caitlyn Jenner Won’t Be Charged in Fatal February Car Accident,” Andrew Blankstein, Oct. 1, 2015
