Charlotte Personal Injury And Workers' Compensation Blog

Multi-vehicle accidents can be difficult to sort out. In the space of a few seconds, several vehicles can collide for very different reasons, and determining liability may require a significant post-accident investigation. A recent multi-vehicle accident on Highway in Monroe demonstrates the difficulty of establishing causation and liability.

In this accident, a Range Rover was traveling east on Highway 74 when it crossed the median, hit a semi-tractor trailer truck and a Honda C-RV and flipped over. Two vans also collided with each other while trying to avoid the initial accident. The driver of the Honda was killed in the collision. A witness told police that driver of the Range Rover was pregnant. Based on this statement, the woman was taken to a local hospital for observation. No other injuries were reported.

When the thirteen colonies established their legal systems, they generally followed the English common law. One of the significant omissions caused by this practice was the failure to recognize claims for the wrongful death of another. In other words, if a father were killed by the negligent act of another person, the family of the decedent had no cause of action for the loss of companionship and income provided by the father. States began to remedy this injustice early in the twentieth century. North Carolina passed its first statute allowing a claim for wrongful death in 1919, and the law has been modified several times in the ensuing years.

The statute itself is straightforward: if a person dies because of the wrongful act of another, the personal representative of the decedent's estate can sue the party or parties liable for the death to recover the damages enumerated in the statues. The failure to use due care, or negligence, is a wrongful act within the meaning of the law. The personal representative is entitled to use the assets in the decedent's estate to pay the costs of the law suit, provided that such expenses are reimbursed to the estate if the claim succeeds.

Every time you drive, you expect to arrive at your destination safely. Still, accidents in and around North Carolina are not exactly uncommon. When accidents occur, motorists or passengers often sustain some type of injury. In fact, in 2017, collisions on North Carolina’s roadways caused injuries to more than 125,000 individuals.   

Distracted driving is a primary cause of automobile accidents. While you may not be able to control how other motorists behave, you can commit to alert driving. To do so, you should understand the three types of distractions that may impair your ability to drive. 

Churches in North Carolina often use vans to transport parishioners, youth groups and church staff to activities at other churches and religious organizations. Such trips are generally safe for all concerned, but occasionally, other drivers create unexpected hazards. On May 28, a church-owned van was carrying a number of parishioners to a revival meeting at another church. The van was turning into the church drive way when a Ford F-450 truck rear-ended it. The results of the collision were calamitous.

As mentioned, the van was turning into the church driveway when it was struck by a large pickup truck pulling a trailer loaded with metal. The van overturned several times before it finally came to rest on its side. The truck and trailer swerved to the side of the road and struck a guardrail.