There are many places where people may feel vulnerable to being struck by a vehicle if they are on foot. They may worry about their safety while crossing a city thoroughfare, walking through a busy parking lot, or even strolling down a residential street. But no one expects to become a victim of an auto-pedestrian accident while checking the mail.
Sadly, that’s how a 69-year old woman died last week in Las Vegas. The woman went out to get her mail near her home on Swan Ridge Avenue (which is just off Eastern Avenue and north of the Regal Colonnade 14 movie theatre). While she was walking, a UPS truck rolled forward and struck the woman, killing her. The 41-year old truck driver reportedly had just stepped back into his vehicle after delivering a package when the truck began moving forward. UPS says that it has launched an investigation into the incident.
The victim was a 41-year veteran of the Clark County School District, where she still volunteered part-time even after her retirement. Countless CCSD students (especially those at Vandenburg Elementary School in Henderson, where she volunteered) will have to struggle with the loss of one of their beloved former teachers.
But her heirs appear to have solid grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit against both the driver and UPS. Such a suit could provide compensation for loss of care or companionship as well as emotional distress. A settlement or court verdict would also reimburse the family for the expenses associated with burying the woman.