A terrible car accident kills a well-known PE teacher and seriously hurts a 22 year old man. The crash happened Friday morning on US 41 near the USF campus in Sarasota. FHP reports that 35 year old Dan Giguere of Bradenton lost control of his car and drove into the path of oncoming traffic. That's when Gigure's Nissan slammed into 22 year old Mijail Hurtado-Chavez's Ford Ranger pickup truck as it was driving in the center lane. Giguere was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The impact seriously injured Hurtado-Chavez, who was taken to Blake Medical Center in Bradenton.

WHAT TO DO WHEN THE AT FAULT DRIVER DIES IN THE ACCIDENT?

An accident like this one is just that, an accident. No one meant for these events to happen. It is a single moment in time when two people's lives are now forever entwined in a tragedy. Family, friends and students will feel deep sadness over losing a mentor like Dan Giguere. Those who love and care for Mijail Hurtado-Chavez now begin the long process of helping him heal and recover. It's understandable for Hurtado-Chavez to feel sadness about the circumstances of this accident, but it's also important to protect himself by filing a claim with the insurance company immediately.

Filing a claim against the insurance company of the person who died in a crash in no way hurts that person's family finances or their reputation. It simply protects Hurtado-Chavez's future. There's no reason to feel badly about making sure you are treated fairly by an insurance company. Remember, a personal injury claim against the insurance policy is not related to the FHP accident investigation. The two events are separate. Whatever caused Giguere to lose control is not the issue. Hurtado-Chavez's family should now focus on making sure his medical bills are paid and recovering lost income from the time he's spent out of work. That's why responsible drivers like Giguere and Hurtado-Chavez carry auto insurance. It's a policy that takes the risk away from the survivors and places the financial liability on the shoulders of the insurance company.

For more information about what to do next after you've been hurt in a car accident, contact Buckman and Buckman at (941) 923-7700 or fill out our online contact form. You will always work directly with our experienced attorneys, never a paralegal. That's because we believe your case is an important one and you deserve to work one-on-one with the lawyer who represents you in court.