Anonymous asked this question on 4/21/2000:
My husband's cousin was hit by a car and killed Tuesday, right in front of our apartment. We believe the accident was caused by improper lighting on the property. We had asked repeatedly to have the outside lights on, to no avail. We don't have access to the switch either. Now someone has died. How do we obtain the police report? What we really need to know is what the woman's statement was that hit him. Any suggestions?
Detective gave this response on 4/21/2000:
Being a fatal traffic injury the report may be pretty hard to obtain through normal channels for sometime. However, as the victim's family (even cousins) you should contact the police department and request even a preliminary copy of the accident report. If not, the family may have to hire an attorney (which could be necessary for a civil action anyway) or consider a Private Investigations firm. We can often obtain information a little faster and easier than most of the public. Also, if the lighten conditions were and continue to be a problem, make sure you take notes on that and even pictures to verify the lack of proper lighting fixtures, broken bulbs, etc. It will be more appropriate to the situation if you do this now rather than later. The "exact" nature of the poor lighting may be very important at some future point for a vehicular manslaughter charge or civil law suit.
Michael Director of Investigations TACTICS Private Investigators http://www.tacticsone.com tacticsone@earthlink.net
Anonymous asked this follow-up question on 4/21/2000:
We have taken several pictures of the lighting conditions, and have done everything we know how to document. My husband fell on the property and injured his knee; the mirror in out bathroom fell off the wall because it was not properly installed within inches of our child's potty chair; the ceiling is caving in our living room. Can we sue him for property negligence?
Now that someone has died, we want to make sure no one else gets hurt. What can we do?
Detective gave this response on 4/21/2000:
Consider hiring a certified building inspector or engineer to do a complete survey of your home, etc. This would be most useful if you take the person to court for damages and monetary recoveries. If the building is unsafe or not up-to-code, you shold be able to pursue it. Also, contact a local attorney for assistance.
M.
The average rating for this answer is 5.
Anonymous rated this answer a 5.
We have taken several pictures, yet our landlord will do nothing. Before the accident my husband fell due to no lighting and unsalted ice. Recently the mirror in our bathroom fell off the wall because it was not properly installed- inches away from our son's potty chair. The ceiling is caving in our living room. Can we sue him for negligence? Now that someone has died, what can we do to make sure this doesn't happen again?