Car accidents don’t have to threaten lives to be serious

Whether people travel Ohio’s roadways or those of another part of the country, there is no way to tell what the outcome will be if involved in a collision. Some people suffer only minor injuries while others lose their lives — and that could happen in the same crash. The victims do not need to suffer life-threatening injuries in car accidents for their lives to be affected for weeks, if not months or longer.

Victims who do not suffer life-threatening injuries could have dodged the proverbial bullet, and for that they are surely grateful. Even so, they may need time off work and require medical care to recover. For example, a 37-year-old man recently suffered injuries described as not life-threatening after a head-on collision. The other driver, a 29-year-old woman, was not as lucky. She died in the crash.

The preliminary investigation shows that her vehicle is the one that crossed over into the other driver’s lane of travel from the opposite direction. At least one witness claims her vehicle was moving erratically prior to the collision. The driver following her vehicle reported that the surviving driver had no time to get out of the way.

When drivers presumed at fault in car accidents do not survive, the victims may think they have no legal recourse. Fortunately, the law here in Ohio and elsewhere does account for these circumstances. The injured party may file a personal injury claim against the estate of the deceased driver, as well as against any separate owner of the vehicle involved, in the pursuit of restitution.

Share this on: