An automotive accident in Tennessee took the life of a man on Nov. 27. The Chester County car accident fatality occurred after a car in the other lane hit him head-on.

The car collision occurred in the morning, at about 8:20 a.m. The victim was heading north on Glendale Road at the time of the accident about 8 miles northeast of Henderson. Suddenly, another vehicle entered his lane and hit the vehicle. The victim was 65 years old and not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. The driver of the other vehicle also sustained injuries related to the crash. There is not yet any indication if criminal charges will be filed or if an investigation is ongoing.

If the elderly driver died because of the other driver’s negligence, his family may decide to pursue a wrongful death claim. Negligence may be proven by showing that the other driver entered the elderly driver’s lane because he or she was texting while driving, drinking and driving or otherwise not paying attention to the roadway.

If successful with such a claim, the victim’s family may be able to receive compensation for the economic and non-economic damages that they sustain. Economic damages may exist if the man had loved ones who were dependent on his income, retirement or benefits. These damages might include loss of support and loss of benefits. If the driver performed certain duties, like childcare, cooking or lawncare, there may also be a claim for loss of services. Non-economic damages typically include the emotional loss of a loved one, including loss of companionship or loss of consortium.

Source: WBBJ, “Chester County Car Accident Kills One“, November 27, 2013

A Knoxville man drove a Chrysler 300 through a parking lot of a shopping center and crashed into the wall of a restaurant, killing one person. According to prosecutors, the driver was sober at the time of the car accident, but he was criminally negligent because of a medical condition which rendered him incapable of safely operating a motor vehicle. He suffered from multiple sclerosis, which left him unable to remove his foot from the gas pedal.

The man has no criminal history, which qualifies him to receive a maximum sentence of up to two years in jail. The defendant agreed to the sentence on Nov. 22 and was granted judicial diversion. This means he will not serve time in jail, and the conviction will not appear on his permanent record, provided he has no further charges filed against him for two years. In addition, his license has been suspended for two years. The surviving family has filed a civil lawsuit against the man, which is currently pending.

When someone is killed by the careless or negligent acts of another, the family may feel additional emotional pain and suffering. Some families may gain a sense of justice and closure by receiving a settlement in civil court.

A personal injury attorney can discuss the case with family members to determine what type of compensation to seek. The plaintiffs may also seek compensatory damages, which are meant to pay for medical or funeral expenses, lost wages and emotional suffering. In cases where an accident was the result of extreme recklessness or negligence, the family may choose to seek punitive damages, which could serve as punishment for the negligent party.

Source: WBIR, “Driver in fatal crash at Tomato Head guilty of homicide“, Jim Matheny, November 22, 2013

Federal accident investigators are researching the practices of a government agency responsible for making sure commercial vehicles are safe. They are questioning the competence of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration following the deaths of 25 people who were involved in four truck and tour bus crashes in several states including Tennessee. The agency was aware of critical safety issues concerning truck and bus companies but failed to attempt to correct the situation.

One accident involved a tractor-trailer involved in a collision with eight other vehicles. The car accident, which occurred in Tennessee, involved two fatalities and six injuries. The truck driver had violated federal regulations concerning the amount of hours drivers are required to rest, and company records indicated that several of its drivers had similar violations. The motor carrier administration was aware that the drivers were spending too many hours on the road but only conducted a marginal safety inspection that permitted the company to remain in operation.

Another accident involved a California tour bus that overturned, killing eight people and injuring several others. The bus driver said that his brakes failed. Authorities discovered that all six brakes on the bus were defective and involved cracked or worn drums as well as other components that were deemed inoperative. Further investigation indicated that the company had received violations for mechanical problems during prior inspections. The motor carrier administration employs approximately 350 safety inspectors and oversees more than 525,000 truck, tour and intercity bus companies. More than 3.5 million inspections are conducted across the United States annually. Careful inspections and accountability could reduce the number of fatal car and truck accidents, making the nation’s roads safer for all drivers.

A motor vehicle accident attorney could help those who have suffered as a result of a trucking companies negligence. An attorney may investigate an accident to prove that a certain party is liable for his or her client’s injuries, therefore winning a favorable settlement on their behalf.

Source: KGW, “Feds: Lack of oversight in deadly bus crahses“, November 08, 2013

A chain-reaction crash that began when a semitrailer collided with a stopped car on Interstate 65 in Marshall County left two people dead and two others injured Nov. 7. Some of the lanes in a southbound stretch of the highway were closed for several hours as 330 gallons of spilled fuel were cleaned up and debris was cleared.

The collision near mile marker 27 close to the Alabama state line began, according to authorities, when a semitrailer clipped the bumper of a Ford Taurus that was stopped in the middle of two lanes of travel. Another semitrailer approached the scene and was unable to stop before striking the car and its driver, who had reportedly exited the vehicle and was standing next to it in the roadway. The 56-year-old Racine, Wisconsin, man was killed by the impact, but his 57-year-old passenger inside the car was not reported to be injured.

Soon after the semitrailer struck the Wisconsin man, a 19-year-old Bethpage woman approached the scene in a Chrysler sedan and reportedly swerved to avoid striking the man’s body; the sedan then plowed into one of the semitrailers that had stopped at the scene. This impact killed her 20-year-old passenger from Georgia and left her with unspecified injuries. Lastly, one other vehicle became involved when it ran over the Wisconsin man’s body, which was still in the roadway; the driver was able to maneuver evasively to avoid striking any of the other vehicles.

After this complex automobile accident, the young Tennessee woman who was injured might be facing astronomical medical expenses and lost wages due to missing work to recover from her injuries if they were serious. While the reportedly responsible driver perished in the crash, it may be possible for her to file a civil claim against his estate in order to secure a settlement to cover her costs.

Source: News Channel 5, “2 Killed, 2 Injured In I-65S Crash In Marshall County“, November 07, 2013