Tennessee crash kills pickup truck driver

On Aug. 29, a 50-year-old man driving a Chevrolet pickup truck was killed in an accident at the intersection of East Center Street and Eastman Road in Kingsport. According to authorities, the 9:30 a.m. accident occurred when a car driven by a 19-year-old woman crashed into the pickup truck as its 50-year-old driver was attempting to execute a left turn.

Reportedly, both vehicles may have had a green light at the intersection immediately prior to the accident. As a result of the collision, the 50-year-old man was ejected from the pickup truck, authorities reported. Emergency personnel transported both drivers to a hospital following the accident. Officials initially listed the man in critical condition; however, he was pronounced dead the following morning. The woman’s injuries were not considered to be life-threatening.

As this case illustrates, traffic accidents can be particularly violent, resulting in serious if not fatal injuries. When there is a preponderance of evidence indicating that an accident was caused by reckless or negligent driving, the people who suffered injuries in the crash may be eligible to pursue civil action. In this way, accident victims may potentially obtain financial compensation for pecuniary damages they suffered in relation to the accident.

Moreover, certain family members of victims in fatal car accidents caused by the actionable behavior of another driver may retain a personal injury lawyer and file a wrongful death suit against the at-fault party. If successful, they might be awarded restitution for end-of-life expenses, such as funeral bills and costs associated with the decedent’s estate administration, as well as lost earnings if the decedent had contributed income to dependents or the family household. In order to prevail in such a lawsuit, the claimants must prove to a civil court that the at-fault driver should be held liable for the fatal event.

Source: WJHL, “Kingsport man dies from injuries sustained in Friday night accident”, Lauren Haviland, August 30, 2014