For the second time in two weeks, police are pointing to a driver’s medical emergency as the likely cause of a major traffic accident with injuries in Hampton Roads. The earlier incident occurred in Windsor, Virginia (VA), when a 72-year-old woman passed out and lost control of her car before hitting a tractor-trailer and several other vehicles head-on. Sadly, the woman lost her life.
At the opposite side of the region on January 12, 2012, a 32-year-old SUV driver in Hampton, VA, sped up to a red light at the intersection of LaSalle and Armistead avenues before sideswiping four stopped vehicles and rear-ending another. Five people in the struck vehicles received hospital treatment for minor injuries. The at-fault driver, who has not been charged with any traffic violations, also sustained critical injuries but is expected to survive.
Commenting on the Windsor crash, we relied on our expertise as Virginia personal injury attorneys to note that even medical emergencies behind the wheel do not automatically absolve at-fault drivers from being held civilly liable for the property damage and injuries their out-of-control vehicles cause. For that reason, everyone hurt in Hampton should exercise their rights to pursue compensation from the other driver’s insurance company.
The additional reality that other forms of insurance recovery may be possible make it doubly necessary for the crash victims to consult with a Virginia traffic accident lawyer.
The last lesson to take from the wreck in Hampton is that drivers of any age can experience health problems that make it difficult or impossible for them to maintain control. Anyone with a medical condition that can make driving dangerous for themselves or others must stay off the road whenever their health is especially poor.
EJL