The accident at the center of a California wrongful death case consists of tragedy on various levels. On Feb. 1, a 41-year-old nanny was out pushing a toddler in his stroller when a driver crashed into the nanny and stroller. Fortunately, the young child survived the pedestrian accident but sustained serious injuries. The nanny, however, lost her life.

Since the accident, investigators have collected evidence and handed it off for the district attorneys to choose what, if any, criminal charges to pursue against the driver who caused the crash. As of this Monday, officials decided to charge the driver with various crimes, including vehicular manslaughter. She also faces at least one civil lawsuit in the wake of the tragedy.

The nanny who was killed in the California accident has two teenage daughters left to deal with their loss. They are suing the driver for the wrongful death of their mother based on evidence that suggests the accident was the result of negligent driving. The investigation indicates that the driver ran a red light before she crashed into the victims and then proceeded to drag the nanny and toddler by her bumper through a crosswalk.

Some professions, including those that require workers to drive frequently, are generally considered more dangerous than office or retail work. The sheer amount of time that these workers are on the road and behind the wheel automatically increases the opportunity for car or motorcycle accidents to happen. But what they may not expect is to get into an accident when they are off the clock.

That unfortunate circumstance happened to a San Benito bus driver, who was killed in a car accident on his way to work. He was riding a motorcycle to an elementary school at about 6:30 a.m. when he was involved in the crash, killing him. The driver of the car, a 21-year-old was taken to a local hospital and treated. Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 34,000 motorcyclists were involved in a fatal accident, and about 1,222,000 people were treated for motorcycle accident injuries between 2001 and 2008. Motorcyclists are at a higher risk for injury or death when they are involved in an accident than those who are in passenger vehicles, because they are physically more exposed without the protections of the steel fame of a car, air bags and seatbelts.

A man who hit and killed a pedestrian in South Lake Tahoe, California, may have been driving while intoxicated, according to police who are investigating the crash. Accidents like these are especially difficult for a victim's loved ones, who must go on with life knowing that such a devastating loss could have easily been prevented.

The fatal accident occurred Friday evening in front of a fast-food restaurant as a 51-year-old man attempted to cross the street. After he was found lying in the road emergency responders tried to resuscitate him as he was rushed to a hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Police, meanwhile, questioned the driver, a 49-year-old South Lake Tahoe man, and ultimately arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence.

This wasn't the first time the man had driven drunk, according to police. The man had been previously convicted of DUI and in fact was not supposed to be driving at the time of Friday night's accident because his license had been suspended for the previous offense.

Family vacations have the potential to be relaxing or full of adventure, which are both things to look forward to. However, no one expects his or her family vacation to turn fatal. Recently, that became a reality for those who became involved in a California tour bus accident.

A family of three, which was on a ski vacation, is among the seven people killed after their tour bus was involved in an accident while traveling through Southern California. An eighth person, a driver of pickup truck that was hit by the bus, also died. There were twelve others on the bus who sustained injuries.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, including the possibility of driver error or faulty brakes. Right before the crash, the driver is reported to have shouted to passengers that the brakes failed, and asked them to call for help. Interestingly enough, this model of bus has a history of brake issues.

One of the most difficult parts of losing a loved one in a car accident is the shock upon hearing the news. The death of any close friend or relative is heartbreaking, no matter how it happens, but when we don't see it coming, the news hits us like a ton of bricks. There is no time to say goodbye or tell the person how we feel, and that regret can build up and make the healing process all the more difficult.

Of course, for the victim there is usually no time to prepare, either. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tell us that car accidents remain a leading cause of death, yet we rarely consider the possibility of being killed in a car accident before getting behind the wheel or into the passenger seat of another person's car. We simply assume that we'll get to our destination safely.

Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen. The family and friends of a 47-year-old Santa Clara, California, man are dealing with that reality after he was killed in a car accident on Interstate 80 late last month. The man was one of four passengers in an SUV that was traveling west on I-80 when the driver suddenly lost control of the wheel and swerved into oncoming traffic. A driver heading east tried to avoid the SUV when it entered her lane, but the two vehicles collided. The SUV then hit the median and rolled over. The Santa Clara man was ejected and the SUV came to rest on top of him. He was pronounced dead at the scene and the others in the SUV were taken to a hospital for minor injuries.