Pregnancy can be an exciting time for many Tennessee parents-to-be. But it can also end in heartbreak when the expectant mother and baby are killed in a car accident. A 22-year-old woman and her unborn baby died on the morning of May 21 after being involved in the accident in Lexington, Tennessee the night before.
The woman was driving eastbound on U.S. 412 when another driver who was going southbound attempted to cross 412. The driver, a 35-year-old man, crashed into the woman's car. He suffered injuries in the crash. The woman was taken to Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. The baby was removed from her following the accident. Both died the following morning.
Car accidents typically operate under the law of negligence. This means that one of the drivers must have failed to follow traffic laws or signals or drive in a safe manner. Because it appears as if the man crashed into the woman, he may be considered the negligent driver.
When a person is killed in an auto accident caused by a negligent driver - such asas was the case here - the family of the deceased victim has the legal right to pursue a wrongful death case. However, they will have to prove that the man's negligence led to the woman's and baby's deaths. It could very well be that the woman was at fault in this case. She may have been driving in a manner that caused the man to crash into her vehicle. In any case, the family of the victims may want to discuss the possibility of filing a claim so they can recover compensation for medical and funeral expenses, as well as vehicle damage.
Source: Jackson Sun, "Pregnant Henderson County woman, baby die after two-car accident," May 22, 2013