— Opposition Senator Malaka Parker is urging the public not to view the proposed Fatal Accidents Bill 2026 as legislation aimed solely at road traffic crashes, saying its protections extend to families affected by a wide range of wrongful deaths.
Speaking during debate in the Senate, Parker said much of the public discussion surrounding the bill has centered on fatal road collisions, but stressed that the legislation is intended to apply wherever a person’s death results from another’s wrongful act or negligence.
“The Fatal Accidents Bill is not simply about motor vehicle accidents,” Parker told senators, explaining that it creates a legal framework allowing dependents to seek compensation in a variety of circumstances.
She said the legislation could apply to deaths arising from medical negligence, workplace accidents, defective products, aviation and maritime incidents, criminal acts and other forms of wrongful conduct, in addition to road traffic collisions.
Parker said understanding the bill’s broad scope is important because many people mistakenly believe it deals only with compensation following fatal motor vehicle crashes.
The opposition senator also noted that the legislation modernizes Antigua and Barbuda’s century-old Fatal Accidents Act to better reflect contemporary family structures and legal principles governing compensation for wrongful death.
While supporting the bill’s overall objectives, Parker proposed several amendments, including extending bereavement damages to common-law partners, periodically reviewing the proposed $20,000 bereavement award to account for inflation, and reducing the waiting period before dependents can bring certain claims. She said those changes would strengthen legislation that she described as a significant step forward for the country’s civil justice system.
The Senate later approved the Fatal Accidents Bill 2026, replacing legislation first enacted in 1924 with a modern framework governing claims arising from wrongful deaths.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Parker Says Fatal Accidents Bill Covers More Than Road Traffic Deaths.