Two North Carolina teenagers killed in car crash

Rick is a Virginia injury attorney who handles car accidents, medical malpractice, FELA, wrongful death, etc.

1/27/2010
Richard N. Shapiro
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Two North Carolina teenagers killed in car crash

On Jan. 17, two North Carolina teenagers were killed in a single-car accident in Gates County, NC, according to Wavy TV-10.

Alexandria Drake, 35, the driver and also one of the teens' mother, was driving the teens when she allegedly drove into a ditch, a fence and then a tree, causing the vehicle to overturn a number of times. Both teen passengers died at the scene from injuries suffered. Drake was airlifted to a hospital for treatment. The severity of her condition is unknown.

While the investigation is still underway, police have determined that speed was a factor in the accident. Whether or not alcohol played a role in the crash is still in question. Only one of the teens was wearing a seatbelt.

Our hearts go out to the victims of this accident and their families and friends. It is always difficult to deal with the loss of loved ones, especially when the victims are so young. This tragedy is a reminder to us all to practice safe driving, not only for our sake, but for the sake of our fellow drivers on the road. Speed plays a factor in many serious car accidents and this case is no exception.

Car insurance laws in most states including North Carolina (NC) and Virginia (VA) permit injured passengers in a car to make a personal injury claim against the driver of their "host" car--even if that allegedly careless driver is a relative, parent, spouse, or close friend. While it is something one never wants to consider, in the case of a death of a passenger, the person's "estate" has the right to recover insurance benefits on behalf of the "estate" and the lawful beneficiaries under a will or the state laws applying when there is no will. Here the teenager's "estates" will each have a wrongful death claim if the driver was negligent in causing the tragic crash. Any insurance coverage in favor of the car host driver may be required to provide the coverage. Our law firm has been involved in many unfortunate injury cases where the source of repayment of medical expenses or other grievous losses was to make a claim against a spouse, relative or friend under the state insurance laws. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2008 over 37,000 people died in a motor vehicle accident. The NHTSA also reports that during the first quarter of 2009, from January to March, 7,689 people lost their lives due to car accidents.

While we cannot prevent all car accidents, there are certain measures we can take to try to reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents that occur.

Always wear your seatbelt and encourage your passengers to buckle up. The American College of Emergency Physicians reports startling statistics concerning the lack of seatbelt usage. According to the ACEP, one person dies every hour in America due to not wearing a seatbelt. Further, seventy-five percent of people ejected from their cars during a crash are killed. The ACEP states that, when used properly, "seatbelts are the most effective means of reducing deaths and serious injuries in traffic crashes."

Category: Car Accident Lawyers & Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

Labels: accident car Carolina claim Drake driver Gates County injury insurance killed NC seatbelt Shapiro

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia Beach, VA-based injury law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and we have handled thousands of car accident, truck wreck, and motorcycle crash cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself.

We've handled car accident cases throughout Virginia including Richmond, Fairfax, Alexandria, and the Hampton Roads region including Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Portsmouth, Newport News, and Suffolk.

Our primary office is in Virginia Beach at the intersection of Diamond Springs Road and Northampton Boulevard. We also have an office on Eaton Street in Hampton. All of our accident injury attorneys were raised in Virginia and have deep roots with the community.

Our Virginia injury law firm has been recognized as one of the best injury law firms in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report since 2010. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed on the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009 and included among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Rick and Jim were named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of lawyers receive. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms.

We also offer free special reports on distracted driving and the Best Guide to Car Accident Injuries in Virginia.

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer a free, initial confidential injury case consultation, so call us at 1-800-752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail and we will get back to you shortly.

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Two North Carolina teenagers killed in car crash

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