Larry Vandeventer, 70 years old from Salt Lake City, Utah is dead following a June 25, 2010 fatal car accident that also took the life of an unborn child and has left the child’s mother critically injured. According to KSL News, Vandeventer was driving down 700 East in Salt Lake about 11:30 a.m. in a Cadillac about 50 mph when he slowly starting drifting into the other lane directly toward a Subaru Impreza. A crash then ensued, which caused the Cadillac to flip and the engine of the Subaru to push into the cabin, effectively pinning the pregnant mom to her seat. It took emergency crews over an hour to free her. She was flown to University Hospital in critical condition.
My deepest condolences go out to the victims of this tragic car accident as well as their families. I will keep the pregnant mother in my prayers and wish her the best recovery possible under the circumstances.
The story does not mention why the Vandeventer Cadillac veered into the path of the Subaru. Some suspect that there were medical problems that caused this crash to happen. Legally speaking, the mother, who was 7 ½ months pregnant at the time, has a claim against Vandeventer for herself as well as her unborn child. She may also have a claim against her own insurance policy under the “underinsured” provision.
I would recommend that the victims and their families contact an experienced Utah personal injury lawyer and Utah wrongful death attorney to explore what options might be available to them.