Fatal car accidents may impose death damages on negligent driver
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating a fatal accident that occurred in Murray County on Friday, March 1 at about 7:15 a.m. The three-car crash occurred on the Chatsworth Highway near the Grand Prix Boulevard intersection. A 16-year-old male operator who failed to slow down hit a car from behind, according to authorities. Rear-end car accidents are a common problem that can only be controlled by drivers paying attention to their surroundings and to the traffic in front of them.
The collision caused the rear-ended vehicle to go forward and crash into the car that was in front of it. State troopers report that a passenger in the first car that was rear-ended, a 7-year-old boy, died at the scene from the collision. At this time, the Georgia State Patrol has not reported the precise cause for the first operator to have failed in controlling his vehicle.
Many different causes are reported in accidents like this one. Distraction and use of cell phones is a major cause; another prominent factor may be impairment from drugs and/or alcohol. Falling asleep is also often reported in car accidents of this nature. The state troopers will conduct forensic tests and interview witnesses. They will then issue a detailed report that is often authoritative in describing the factors involved.
Georgia law provides compensation for wrongful death damages that arise from car accidents with these and similar facts. Where one or more operators cause an accident and there is a death to an innocent passenger, the negligent operator(s) are legally liable to pay damages. In many cases, the responsible driver will carry sufficient liability insurance to cover the fair compensatory value of the decedent’s life to the decedent’s estate. In cases where the liability coverage is inadequate, the estate can turn to the underinsured motorists coverage carried by the operator of the vehicle carrying the boy. In some cases, more than one source may be found to contribute to the underinsured motorists recovery.