The fiancee of a 29-year-old Bolingbrook man who was killed last fall in a motorcycle crash has filed a wrongful death suit against the driver who struck him. The crash occurred in Joliet on the evening of Oct. 29.

The lawsuit claims that the driver abruptly decided to make a U-turn at an intersection. When he did, he caused the motorcyclist to crash into him. The lawsuit says that the driver “failed to keep a lookout in the direction of travel” and that his abrupt U-turn “could not be made in safety and without interfering with other traffic….”

The 55-year-old driver, who lives in Romeoville, has not been charged with a crime or even received a traffic citation as a result of the incident. However, he has been cited with other traffic violations in recent years in Will County. These include two citations for failing to stop at a stop sign and two more for using an electronic device while he was driving. The most recent violations were in 2016. He was also cited that year for not having auto insurance.

In addition to his fiancee, the motorcyclist, who was originally from Hinsdale, is survived by a young daughter who was just a year old when her father was killed. The lawsuit notes “loss of consortium” by the daughter among the damages. It was filed on behalf of the man’s estate, which his fiancee is representing.

Even when negligent or reckless drivers aren’t held accountable for their actions by the criminal courts or don’t even receive a traffic citation, victims and surviving loved ones can seek to hold them accountable in civil court. Civil action can bring some sense of justice and compensation for monetary losses and other damages.