Sumas Man Dies in Single-Vehicle Crash on SR 547 in Whatcom County

Washington law requires every occupant of a moving vehicle to wear a properly fastened seat belt under RCW 46.61.688. Investigators noted that Gomez was not wearing his seat belt when his Ford Expedition left the roadway and struck a tree, a factor that can significantly increase the severity of injuries in a run-off-road crash. While failing to buckle up is a traffic infraction rather than the cause of a crash itself, courts and insurers often weigh seat belt use when evaluating the extent of a victim’s damages.

Washington’s wrongful death statute, RCW 4.20.010, allows a personal representative to bring a claim on behalf of family members when a person’s death is caused by another party’s wrongful act, neglect, or default. Investigators in this case attributed the crash to a sudden medical episode rather than the fault of another driver or a road hazard, which limits who, if anyone, could be held liable. If further investigation showed that a vehicle defect, roadway condition, or another party’s negligence contributed to the medical episode or the crash, surviving family members could potentially pursue a claim under this statute.