Sometimes in Tennessee, a driver is doing everything right when another vehicle, driven by a careless person, comes from seemingly out of nowhere to bring a collision and bodily injury. Perhaps the most common and most infuriating of these collisions are drunk driving accidents.
Two Tennessee high school cheerleaders were injured recently near Clarksville when a man driving a pickup truck drifted into their lane and struck their car head-on.Both girls were airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The teen driver, a 17-year-old senior who was scheduled to graduate the following week was listed in stable condition. Her passenger, a 15-year-old sophomore was listed in critical condition. Both girls were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash.
The driver of the pickup truck was cited for DUI, vehicular assault and traffic violations. He was taken to Gateway Medical Center, but was later transferred to another facility.
Those who are injured in car accidents can be left with huge medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other costs. Air ambulances, although undoubtedly life-savers, can be extraordinarily expensive. A single flight in a helicopter ambulance can come with a price tag of more than $12,000 and these are not always covered by health insurance.
When the injured person's damages are caused by another driver's negligence, the injured may be compensated through a personal injury lawsuit. Drivers are negligent when they fail to exercise the same level of care that a reasonable driver would under the circumstances and someone is injured as a result. Driving drunk is strong evidence of negligence.
An award in a personal injury lawsuit cannot turn back time and prevent a young person from receiving a life-altering injury, but it can help the injured and their families cope with the many losses they suffer due to someone else's carelessness. Tennessee residents who have been injured due to another driver's negligence should research their legal rights and get help investigating their legal options.
Source: News Channel 5, "Driver Cited In DUI Crash That Injured Two Teenagers," May 17, 2013