The officials of the Tennessee Highway Patrol have identified the victim of a fatal truck accident, which occurred in Rutherford County. The victim has been identified as a 41-year-old resident of Columbia, Tennessee. The truck accident occurred in the morning.
According to police, the 41-year old truck driver was traveling west on Interstate 24 near mile marker 81. Interstate 24 was covered with snow and ice and the truck driver was not able to stop his truck. As a result, the truck collided with the rear end of a General Motors Corporation flatbed truck that was driven by a 24-year-old man from Tabor City, North Carolina. The 24-year-old truck driver was stopped on the highway because of an accident that had occurred previously and was holding up traffic. The 41-year-old truck driver was taken to Middle Tennessee Medical Center, where he was declared dead. The driver of the GMC flatbed did not sustain injuries during the accident. Both of the drivers were wearing seatbelts.
The laws of Tennessee take vehicular homicide very seriously. Under Tennessee law, an innocent accident victim is entitled to compensation relating to medical expenses, vehicle damage and lost wages. The accident victim is eligible to recover monetary damages from the responsible parties involved in the accident. A passenger of a car or any other vehicle is also eligible for the recovery of damages from the insurers of the driver who caused the accident.
In the case of a fatality, the victim accident's family can file a wrongful death claim, if negligence can be proved. The compensation that is awarded to the family can cover funeral expenses and other accident-related expenses, which will ease the burden of their financial hardship.
Source: The Tennessean, "Victim of fatal wreck identified," Richel Albright, Feb. 03, 2013