On June 19, four people were hospitalized — one in serious condition — following a motor vehicle accident in North Knox County. The collision took place on Maynardville Highway. The two-vehicle crash took place at approximately quarter to five in the afternoon.
The accident was so severe that Knox County Rescue had to extricate all four people involved in the accident. The incident is being investigated by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Following the crash, Rural Metro issued a statement advising motorists and their passengers to use their seat belts and avoid distracted driving.
Most people in Knoxville would agree that the safe thing to do when driving or riding in an automobile is to wear a seat belt. In addition, distracted driving has gotten a lot of attention lately as a behavior that should be avoided while driving. Distracted driving is not limited to cellphone use. Eating or grooming behind the wheel, turning the radio, chatting with passengers or even daydreaming can all cause distracted driving accidents for which the distracted driver could be held liable.
While the exact cause of this recent accident has not been reported, all drivers have the duty to drive reasonably under the circumstances. If a driver fails to do so and causes a car accident that injures another person, that driver could be held responsible for the crash.
That said, holding a driver responsible for a car accident is often a challenge, especially when the victim has to cope with injuries, expenses, among other things. Therefore, it may be a wise decision for car accident victims and their families to seek legal guidance.