A mechanical failure may be to blame for the loss of the life of an elderly woman in Tennessee on Monday morning, Sept. 23. According to the Tennessee Department of Safety, the driveshaft fell off of a pickup truck and crashed through the windshield of the vehicle the woman was riding in. Authorities are calling this a freak automobile accident. A police representative says that criminal charges have not been filed in the case.
No one other than the 77-year-old woman who was killed was injured in the crash. The accident occurred on Interstate 24 in La Vergne, just south of Nashville. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, a 2008 Dodge Ram lost its driveshaft at approximately 10:30 a.m. It bounced off a car not identified by news sources and crashed through the window of the Chevrolet Equinox driven by the dead woman’s husband. The woman was riding in the passenger seat of the car, according to reports.
The woman was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Neither drugs nor alcohol appear to have been factors in the incident; according to police, the accident was not intentional and not malicious. They did cite the driver of the Dodge as causing the fatal accident.
In a case where mechanical failure may be a factor in a fatal crash, an experienced attorney may be able to assess the evidence and identify all parties who could be held responsible for the loss suffered by the decedent’s surviving family. An attorney could also negotiate with insurance companies, their claims adjusters and the lawyers representing the insurers for a fair settlement for clients who have suffered the loss.
Source: Cherokee Tribune, “Canton woman, 77, dies in automobile crash in Tennessee“, Joshua Sharpe, September 25, 2013