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Dealing with the untimely death of a loved one is never easy, and the trauma of the loss may be exacerbated if the negligence of someone else caused the death. If you face such a situation, you might have grounds for a wrongful death claim.

It’s all too often the case, or rather, the cause. Cell phone use while driving can cause a car accident in the blink of an eye. According to recent statistics, more accidents occur due to distracted driving than impaired driving. Reportedly, 78 lives are lost each year in British Columbia because of drivers’ attention distracted from the road by talking or texting on a cell phone.

Highway 5, known as the Coquihalla Highway, runs from sea level to 2400 meters above sea level as the crow flies. It bears a dubious safety reputation. A car accident on British Columbia’s Coquihalla is so commonplace that when two buses, two semis and two other vehicles collided recently, area residents phoned for help as soon as the first deafening crash occurred.

As the old saying goes: courtesy costs nothing. Arguably, the opposite may be proved true when a lack of courtesy on the road causes a car accident. It seems trivial and may even sound trite, but excessive losses reported by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) are, in part, being attributed to discourteous drivers disrespectful of some of the most basic rules of the road.

Many movies today feature car chases meant to thrill viewers with edge-of-the-seat action, in the style of “Bonnie and Clyde.” When real life intersects with the kind of mayhem depicted in such films, it makes for a whole different — and terrifying — storyline for British Columbia residents.

Waiting at a designated bus stop, whether in an urban or a rural setting, is generally considered a safe space. There is rarely reason to expect bodily harm, as British Columbia commuters embark and disembark, lugging groceries or other items and often accompanied by children.

Our literature is full of dastardly deeds that take place under cover of darkness. The nighttime has been mythologized as a frightening and even perilous time. Some people, such as one hit-and-run driver in British Columbia, seem to believe that their decisions as well as their actions are rendered invisible at night, especially when they flee the scene of a pedestrian accident.

Ancient beliefs in the “genius loci,” or spirit of place, describe locations imbued with intense energy or are, as some say, the abode of great bear spirits or even of fairies. Many such places have been identified in British Columbia where urban centers are nestled among awe-inspiring natural landscapes.

They’re known as the elephants of the road, and, like elephants, require lots of space, move at a steady, slower pace, and are subject to special rules of the road. In British Columbia, as elsewhere in Canada, semi trucks are not always permitted in the passing lane for motorway safety reasons.

No matter what state road conditions are in, some drivers remain oblivious. As such, some accident events cannot be blamed on the extreme weather that continues to dog British Columbia this winter. In a recent car accident, one driver, who apparently didn’t know when to quit, left one crash scene only to cause a second collision further on.