Bakersfield, CA – Weeks after losing him in a car crash on Highway 126 near Santa Paula on Dec 14, the family of John Phillip Sellers, 60, of Bakersfield bears the financial cost of his death on top of the emotional cost, according to The Bakersfield Californian.
The California Highway Patrol reports that Sellers was involved in a fatal collision around 5:30 AM when another motorist, unaware of Sellers’ presence, pulled out of his driveway during his morning commute to Jet Propulsion Labs in Valencia.
It was too late for Sellers to avoid the collision. He struck the rear of the other motorist’s car, lost control, and crashed into a pole. Emergency response teams had to pull Sellers from his car. They brought him to Ventura County Hospital, but he did not survive his injuries.
Sellers leaves behind a grieving family that includes his 14-year-old son, Tyler; his 83-year-old mother, Edith; sisters Suzanne and Jonet, and brother Jason. The Sellers family recently held a memorial service for him at the Church of God Bakersfield on December 22, with burial plans pending. They have struggled with the burial costs and with finding the insurance information necessary to secure support for Tyler Sellers.
In the wake of this tragedy, Suzanne Sellers expresses her determination to turn grief into advocacy. She emphasizes the need for increased safety measures on Highway 126, known locally as “blood alley.” Suzanne intends to explore legislative avenues to improve safety, spurred by the absence of cautions or warnings in the accident-prone area.
Wrongful Death Claims: Support for the Grieving
When a family loses a loved one in a traffic accident, there may be many factors at play in determining fault. It may be the case that they have grounds to file a Wrongful Death Claim, which can help secure funds to cover medical fees, burial expenses, and even the loss of future income from the deceased toward their dependents. Insurance companies may put up resistance to making a proper payout, and this is where the services of a knowledgeable personal injury attorney can be extremely helpful.