Rear-end Collision Claims the Life of 19-Year-Old in Union County, NC

It's always sad when our experienced North Carolina (NC) personal injury attorneys report on a loss of a life, even more so when the victim is not yet out of her teens.

On June 29, 2011, a 19-year-old was killed on a highway in Union County, North Carolina (NC), WCNC.com reported. The victim died when the car she was riding in was rear-ended by another car into oncoming traffic, where it was then T-boned.

This tragic accident occurred at the intersection of Weddington Road and Airport Drive, when the Nissan Altima the victim was a passenger in stopped to make a left turn. A Toyota Camry failed to stop and rear-ended the Altima.

Unfortunately, they had their wheels turned to the left, so when they got rear-ended it forced them into the other lane of travel where they were hit in the side by a pickup truck," Trooper Mark Helms, of the NC Highway Patrol told WCNC.com.

The Camry's driver is to be charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle. Alcohol was not a factor, police said.

Rear-end collisions are all too common and this case demonstrates that they can trigger a series of events that can prove fatal. Our NC car accident injury lawyers deal with many deaths and injuries caused by rear-end collisions. Last year we reported on a case in North Carolina in which the driver of an SUV went into the rear of a Lenoir County, NC, school bus containing students returning from school, leaving 11 out of 35 students injured.

Although rear-end collisions often occur at slow speeds, they can lead to serious injuries or even death. Often victims suffer from whiplash. In more severe crashes permanent injuries may occur.

Our VA/NC car accident injury attorneys secured a $75,000 jury award for the 2004 victim of a rear-end collision. Our client was rear-ended with sufficient force to cause his head to break out the rear window of the pickup truck. The highest offer Allstate Insurance Company would make before the trial was $6,500. The insurance company attempted to claim a subsequent accident, which was our client's fault, contributed to his medical care and treatment. 

Insurance companies always find something besides their own liability to blame but the jury disagreed.

DM