Posted in Car Accident,Drunk Driving on August 18, 2014
Earlier last month in Cheatham County, a single-vehicle accident resulted in the female driver of the car being taken to the hospital with serious injuries and the death of her male passenger. According to a report by the Tennessean, the accident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. on Moss Ferry Road, near Pleasant View.
Evidently, the woman was traveling at a high rate of speed in a 2014 Lincoln MKH when she approached a heavy curve to the right. The driver lost control of the vehicle around the curve, and the car ended up driving off the road and into the nearby woods, where it crashed into a small tree, became airborne, and flipped several times.
Both passengers were wearing their seat belts at the time of the accident, but the passenger in the vehicle was pronounced dead by emergency responders. The woman also sustained injuries in the crash but is expected to survive.
Police believe that both the driver and the passenger had been drinking and have ordered blood tests to determine if that was the case. If so, the woman likely will be facing criminal charges for her role in the fatal accident. However, at the time of the article’s publication, no citations had been issued.
Drunk Driving on Tennessee Roads
The dangers of drunk driving are well known, yet people still continue to engage in the extremely dangerous and irresponsible behavior. In fact, each year in Tennessee alone there are about 26,000 drunk-driving related arrests. Of those, there are about 7,300 alcohol-related crashes and over 5,500 injuries.
Accidents involving alcohol are also more likely to be fatal. In 2012, for example, there were 295 alcohol-related traffic deaths. Each one of these could have been prevented had the driver not gotten behind the wheel after drinking. Indeed, that is what makes drunk-driving deaths especially tragic. They are all preventable.
When a driver chooses to get behind the wheel when he or she is intoxicated, they are putting not just themselves at risk, but everyone around them. All too often, this can result in a serious or fatal traffic accident, as was the case in the situation described above. It may be of little solace for the families of drunk-driving victims to know that they are entitled to recover financially for their loss through a Tennessee wrongful death action.
Are You in Need of an Attorney?
If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a serious drunk-driving accident in Tennessee, you may be entitled to monetary damages to help compensate you for your injuries or losses. Due to the existing laws against drunk driving in the state of Tennessee, it is often easier to recover from a drunk-driving accident than it is for other types of negligent or distracted driving. To learn more about how you may be able to recover, contact attorney Matt Hardin online, or dial 615-200-1111 to schedule your free initial consultation.
See Related Blog Posts:
Chain Reaction Accident in Knoxville Claims Two Lives, Nashville Injury Lawyer’s Blog, published June 30, 2014.
Domino-Effect Accident Leaves Three Dead in Tennessee, Nashville Injury Lawyer’s Blog, published July 15, 2014.
