Sunday afternoons are frequently known for errands. New York families are preparing for the week ahead, buying groceries, dropping off dry cleaning, washing their cars, picking up dog food at the pet store and running by the ATM for cash. The late afternoon hour may even be the dinner hour for some elderly citizens, however, and they may take to the roadways in search of early bird specials. The last thing on their minds is personal injury claims resulting from car accidents.

An elderly woman experienced just that recently. A 78-year-old woman was allegedly out driving her Kia on a recent Sunday afternoon when her vehicle apparently drifted over into oncoming traffic. The reason for this was not immediately clear.

When this occurred, she reportedly crashed headfirst into a Lexus driven by a 68-year-old woman. The driver of the Kia was transported to a nearby hospital where she was unfortunately declared deceased. The driver of the Lexus, who was sent to a different hospital for treatment, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities reported that the investigation was ongoing. They reached out to the community for any witnesses to the accidents to come forward with information.

Fortunately, New York law allows those who are harmed by negligent or reckless actions by others to seek compensation through personal injury litigation. Any financial compensation that is awarded from such a claim may be applied toward easing a victim's pain and suffering, medical bills and lost wages. Likewise, if a victim perishes due to someone's negligent actions, their surviving members may also be entitled to file a wrongful death claim for the damages they have experienced.