Posted in Car Accident,Tennessee Accident Law on May 9, 2016
Five-Car Accident in Wilson County Kills 1, Injures 2
An accident that involved five vehicles in Lebanon Sunday afternoon claimed the life of one person and injured two others.
According to a report by WSMV.com, the accident occurred at around 3:30 p.m. Sunday when a vehicle collided with the rear of another car in the northbound lanes of Highway 109. The impact occurred when traffic was slowing to allow other vehicles to turn onto Burton Road.
After the initial impact between the two cars, three other vehicles were damaged due to a chain-reaction effect. A 28-year-old man was riding as a passenger in the vehicle that struck the car from behind, and he died as a result of injuries he suffered in the accident.
The second vehicle was pushed into the southbound lane of Highway 109 and collided head-on with a semi-truck, causing its 29-year-old driver and his 23-year-old passenger to suffer injuries.
An additional eight people were also involved in the accident, but none suffered injuries, according to information from Lebanon police officers.
Criminal charges may be filed pending a full investigation into the accident.
How Can You Reduce Your Chances of Being Seriously Injured during Car Accidents?
Car accidents are something everyone tries to avoid, but they can happen in the blink of an eye—even when drivers do everything in their power to stay safe, obey the rules of the road, and anticipate the movements of other drivers. While it’s impossible to completely eliminate your risks of being involved in a car accident, there are numerous steps you can take to reduce your risks of suffering serious or even fatal injuries if you are the victim of a crash caused by a negligent or careless driver.
To better protect yourself and your family in the event of a car accident, do your best to follow these tips:
Wearing your seat belt at all times is the single most effective way to help reduce your risk of suffering serious injuries during car accidents. Seat belts keep drivers and passengers restrained and prevent them from impacting the steering wheel, dashboard, or the seats in front of them with large amounts of force, which can result in broken bones, cuts and bruises, and head and neck injuries.
Your seat and headrest can be adjusted to keep you comfortable while driving or riding in your vehicle, but adjusting them to the proper height and distance from the pedals can also keep you safer during an accident. Your headrest helps brace your head and neck during impact and can reduce the likelihood that you’ll suffer head and neck injuries during a car accident. It’s also important to adopt a safe and comfortable posture while driving or riding by positioning your head close to your headrest. This reduces the distance your head and neck travel during an accident, which in turn reduces the likelihood of serious injuries.
Airbags are highly effective at preventing serious injuries when they deploy during car accidents, but it’s important that drivers and passengers are positioned at the correct distance to avoid being injured by these safety devices. Women are particularly at risk of being injured by airbags, as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that out of 35 airbag-related deaths in the U.S., 25 of them involved women who were between 4’8” and 5’5” tall. This may be due to women moving their seats forward to better reach their gas and brake pedals, which also puts them close enough to their airbags to be susceptible to serious injuries when they deploy.
During car accidents, loose items can be propelled in vehicles with high amounts of force and speed. When those objects strike drivers and passengers, they can cause serious and even life-threatening injuries. Make sure your vehicle is always free of loose objects that could become airborne during a collision and strike you or your passengers. If you need to transport loose items, keep them in your trunk or under a cargo net in the rear of your vehicle.
Following the tips above can help reduce the likelihood that you or your family members will suffer serious injuries that require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation.
At Matt Hardin Law, our Lebanon car accident attorneys know that people who suffer serious injuries during car accidents often experience pain and disability that make it impossible for them to go back to work for weeks, months, or even years. When that happens, they may not be able to afford their medical bills, lost wages, and other accident-related expenses.
We believe that innocent victims should never have to pay for the mistakes of others. If you or someone you love was injured in an auto accident caused by a negligent driver, we want to help. Dial (615) 547-2683 or complete a free online consultation form today.
