Some minutes after midnight on Saturday, February 15th, a pedestrian, Carmen Castillo, died after getting hit by a car. The accident happened in Corona, Riverside County, California.

According to the Corona Police Department, Castillo was walking across Sixth and Crawford Street at about 12:25 a.m. when a car hit him. He was pronounced dead on the scene by first responders.

The driver of the car, whose name the police withheld, stayed behind to speak with the authorities. He talked to the police and the California Highway Patrol, trying to piece together what happened.

It appears the driver was not impaired in any way, and the CPD has not stated if he will get charged. The CHP is still investigating and wants anyone with helpful information to contact their office.

Under California law, when there’s negligence or impairment on the part of the driver, the family of a deceased person can bring a wrongful death claim. The latter is to recover compensation.

Before granting the compensation, the court will look at the duty of care owed to the pedestrian by the driver, and if there’s a breach of that duty. It would also consider if the violation led to the cause of the death of the victim.

The court will also look at the damages suffered by the family members of the deceased. If it is satisfied with its findings, and the negligence of the driver is high, then the court will grant compensation.

The compensation covers costs of the funeral, loss of income and other benefits, loss of services, and consortium. Sumarizing all these into monetary compensation is difficult, but the court always grants the best possible sum depending on the driver’s income.

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