High School Basketball Star Killed in Long Island Accident

A high school basketball star with pro prospects was tragically killed in a car accident on Wednesday, January 27 in Uniondale.

That teenager, 15-year-old Jomani “Jo-Jo” Wright, was in a vehicle with three other teens heading to a gym for a private workout, when they were suddenly T-boned by an SUV at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Front Street. The collision resulted in the teens’ vehicle hitting a pole. Wright was pronounced dead at Nassau University Medical Center. The other three teens and the 87-year-old driver of the SUV were transported to area hospitals to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The Uniondale High School boys’ basketball team announced it would dedicate its season to Wright.

Options when a loved one passes in a car accident

If you have a loved one who was killed in a car accident caused by another person’s negligence, your best option in pursuing compensation is to file a wrongful death claim, a specific type of personal injury claim in which the heirs or beneficiaries of the deceased recover the compensation on their behalf. In the case of a child, this would be the parents or guardians of that child.

In a wrongful death claim, you must prove:

• The defendant had a duty of care to the deceased
• The defendant violated that duty of care
• That breach of duty directly led to the accident
• That accident resulted in your loved one’s death

To learn more about the steps you should take if you seek to hold a negligent driver accountable for the death of a loved one, contact an experienced attorney at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP.