Connecting auto accidents to certain holidays can make sense when the holidays have a relationship to drinking and late-night driving. However, most people would not expect a family holiday like Thanksgiving to represent a significant risk to travelers on the road. In 2008 alone, Thanksgiving auto accidents resulted in 1,242 injuries and 13 deaths in North Carolina. Anyone who suffers injuries or loses a loved one in an accident requires the advice and support of an experienced local North Carolina car accident lawyer with the resources needed to delve into the complex details behind the collision. However, not all holiday auto accidents relate to the festivities of the day.
According to WECT News, two people died and others suffered injuries in a crash on Twisted Asheville Road the morning of November 22, 2012 when an unlicensed 17-year-old driver of a car carrying four passengers lost control, crossing the center lane and causing a pickup truck to hit the passenger side of the car. Although any collision can result in potentially serious injuries, this one accident illustrates multiple acts of negligence that may have contributed to the severity of the injuries.
An adult passenger in the front seat was training the teenager to drive and died because of the collision. The three back-seat passengers – one adult and two children – did not wear seat belts, causing their ejection from the vehicle, killing the adult back seat passenger and injuring the children.
The news report provides no details on the circumstances that caused an unlicensed driver to carry young passengers during a training session. However, from a legal standpoint, accidents like this car crash in North Carolina raise many questions that could easily result in lawsuits for personal injury, if not for wrongful death. The lack of seatbelts on the back seat passengers could point to negligence on the part of the driver or her trainer for not requiring their use. However, any adults who permitted the children to ride in a car driven by an unlicensed driver-in-training could also share in liability. In addition, since the driver might have lost control because the road had many dangerous curves, even the municipality might have some liability if the road has a history of accidents.
With more than two decades of experience, the Charlotte personal injury attorneys at Lanier Law Group, P.A. examine every detail to determine all legal options available for pursuing your case. Call us to learn how we can help.