Madera County, CA – According to FOX26, on the morning of Friday, February 23, 2024, a pickup truck crashed into a van carrying farm workers, resulting in 8 deaths including Kerman resident 24-year-old Juvenal Jacobo Talavera from Michoacán, Mexico.
Officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) arrived at the crash site in La Vina at Avenue 7 and Road 22 to find three vehicles involved in the accident — a pickup truck, a van carrying farm workers, including Talavera, on their way to work in Firebaugh, and a second van carrying family members of the farm workers, including the wife of Talavera.
Investigations indicate that the pickup truck crossed the center line to crash head-on with the first van, causing the second to collide with it as well. The driver of the pickup truck, Talavera, and six others were pronounced dead at the scene. Another occupant of the first van received transportation to a nearby hospital for treatment of injuries.
Wrongful Death Claims
The compensation offered by a wrongful death claim is intended to address the financial burdens that families experience after losing a loved one, including medical bills, burial costs, and the loss of income to support any dependents of the deceased.
It does not matter the legal status of the victims or their families, just that the victim died as the result of another’s recklessness or negligence. Even if there may be issues of partial liability, such as whether wearing a seatbelt may have affected the outcome of the accident, there may still be some amount of compensation available.
A knowledgeable personal injury attorney can help families sort through these issues and negotiate with insurance companies to ensure proper compensation is received.
