For kids (and adults) of all ages, Christmas Eve is supposed to be a time of joyous anticipation. Many Nevadans eagerly await the celebration of the birth of Jesus and/or the opportunity to open holiday gifts. But for a few people in Nye County, Christmas Eve was a day of mourning, sadness, and anxiety.

That’s because a van rolled over and crashed in the desert about 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas on the morning of Christmas Eve. According to police, a 2001 gold Honda van was traveling south on U.S. 95 near the interchange with State Route 267 around 8:15am. Inexplicably, the van drifted off the right side of the roadway and the driver lost control on the gravel shoulder. That led to a rollover accident which injured seven occupants in the van. Another occupant, a 67-year old Sparks woman, was ejected from the van and died.

It’s not known if the deceased woman was driving the van or not. If that’s not the case, the family of the deceased appears to have a strong case for a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver, because Nevada law requires that all drivers bear responsibility for the safety of their passengers. Surviving family members could be entitled to burial expense reimbursement, lost future wages, and damages for emotional distress and loss of care and companionship. Similarly, the injured passengers could file personal injury lawsuits against the driver to collect reimbursement for hospitalization expenses as well as unearned wages due to work absenteeism.