In September 2010, a then 17-year-old teenager was driving a car that crashed in Pennsylvania. That crash killed his passenger, a 16-year-old girl. Police believe that at the time of the motor vehicle accident the driver was intoxicated.

Prior to the crash the vehicle the man was driving reportedly ran a red light. He then attempted to get away from the police by speeding up to 100 mph. The chase ended when the man rolled his car.

Earlier this month the man, who was behind the wheel at the time of the accident, pled guilty to the charge of vehicular homicide. He has yet to receive his sentence, but authorities are apparently planning to seek at least three years in jail.

The criminal case may not be the last this man sees of the legal system. The family of the girl who died may decide to file a civil wrongful death lawsuit as well. These cases are often emotionally difficult to navigate. This is true not only in the legal sense, but emotionally, for family members as well. Through the course of the case, a monetary value will be assigned to the life of the deceased person's life.

Of course there is nothing that can be done to bring the person back who has died. While a wrongful death lawsuit is certainly not an easy thing to go through after a loved one has died it often makes it easier for those left behind to move forward with their lives. A successful case not only provides financial compensation for a variety of things, but sometimes a sense of closure as well.

Source: WFMJ, "Pa. teen pleads guilty in police chase fatal," March 2, 2012