A wife and mother has been left grieving after her husband was killed in a fatal hit-and-run at the Brooklyn warehouse where he worked. The incident happened on Saturday, June 30 at around 8 p.m. 32-year-old Jose Cardoso was standing on a sidewalk on 21st St. near Fourth Ave. in Greenwood Heights when a 2004 GMC van being driven by 35-year-old Leonel Ortega-Flores lurched up onto the sidewalk and crushed him against the warehouse building.
Ortega-Flores fled on foot following the incident as workers tried to save Cardoso’s life. Medics brought Cardoso to New York Methodist Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
According to investigators, Ortega-Flores was attempting to park the vehicle. However, the victim’s family believe the man should pay for killing his coworker. Police tracked down Ortega-Flores at around 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning and charged him with vehicular manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving without a license. What Legal Rights Do Families Of Fatal Work Accident Victims Have?
Families who are grieving after a fatal work accident takes a loved one away have a lot to deal with. Along with the unimaginable emotional pain that comes with these situations, a fatal work accident can have other long-lasting consequences - both personal and financial.
In the aftermath of this type of tragedy, many families may not want to consider what their financial future may look like without their loved one. However, it’s important to both make sure that the families of fatal accident victims are taken care of and that those responsible for their wrongful death are brought to justice.
Wrongful Death Lawsuits For Fatal Work Accidents
The criminal justice system helps punish offenders in these situations, but it often does little to help the families of the victims. This is why many families end up turning to the civil court system and filing a wrongful death lawsuit.
Taking legal action can help hold the parties responsible for your loved one’s death liable and help improve future safety regulations so that fewer workers die in preventable work accidents. The civil court system can also help provide financial compensation for all types of damages and suffering related to your loved one’s death, such as:
- Loss of financial support (income and benefits)
- Pain and suffering
- Costs of therapy
- Medical bills and funeral costs
- Punitive damages for intentional acts and extreme negligence
If you or a loved one was injured due to someone else's negligence and want to pursue a personal injury lawsuit, contact us at:
Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman
84 Linden Blvd #1b
Brooklyn, NY 11226
718-571-8371
