In 2017, tennis star Venus Williams was involved in a tragic car accident in Florida that resulted in a fatality and a subsequent wrongful death lawsuit. Williams later denied all liability, arguing that the victims contributed to their own injuries. While that specific case has since concluded, it highlights the complex legal challenges many car crash victims and families face.
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a car accident, it's important to understand how these cases are handled, and why working with an experienced Washington, D.C. car accident attorney helps your case.
Lawyers for the 37-year old tennis player argue the elderly couple’s own negligence was the cause of death, claiming the pair failed to properly maintain their vehicle and were not wearing their seatbelts at the time of death. Furthermore, the response indicates Williams had a green light when she drove her her SUV into an intersection moments before the plaintiffs’ car slammed into her.
Williams’ lawyers also asked the court to have accounts of the widow’s injuries stricken from the court record, calling the victim’s cracked sternum, a shattered right arm, broken right wrist, hand, and fingers “immaterial” to the case. Additionally, the two sides have also allegedly spared over discovery of key facts in the case, including phone records, vehicle inspections, and electronic vehicle data that could potentially indicate Williams rate of speed before crash.
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida police found Williams at fault in the crash but declined to charge the tennis pro with any criminal counts, as is usual in most traffic collisions. Typically, an at-fault driver’s conduct would have to be so wanton and reckless in order for it to rise to the level of criminal conduct.
While the standards for criminal charges remains quite high, our civil justice system does allow for victims and surviving family members to bring their own car crash lawsuit against negligent drivers to hold these individuals responsible. Although no amount of money can undo the harm caused by someone’s careless actions, the law provides monetary compensation as a main form of relief to injury victims.
Car accidents in Washington, D.C. don’t always make national news. But for victims and families, the consequences of a car accident can be life-altering. The Venus Williams case shows how even when police assign fault, legal liability still requires evidence, advocacy, and persistence.
Here’s how this applies to your situation if you’ve been hurt in a car crash in the D.C. area.
While every case is different, most car accident lawsuits follow a timeline similar to the one below:
If you've been injured in a crash caused by someone else, you may be eligible for compensation, including:
Our D.C. car accident lawyers help clients build strong claims backed by evidence, expert testimony, and negotiation leverage.
Washington, D.C. has a 3-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including car accidents.. The sooner you speak to a car accident lawyer, the stronger your case will be.
While The Cochran Firm D.C. was not involved in the wrongful death lawsuit against Venus Williams, the case is a reminder of how complicated car accident and wrongful death claims can become. That’s why working with an experienced car accident lawyer in Washington, D.C. is necessary for your case. Our DC lawyers understand how to build strong cases in both auto accident and wrongful death lawsuits. We hold negligent drivers accountable and fight back when insurers try to deny or delay claims.
If you or a family member were seriously injured in a car crash, contact a car accident attorney today to discuss your case.