When traveling on the roadways, motorists must stay in their own lanes. Drifting over too far to the left or right can cause a serious accident. A driver can be forced off the road or motorists can collide. Both of these occurrences happened in a recent car accident on Ohio 4.
The incident, which involved three vehicles, occurred on the afternoon of January 8 north of Morral-Kirkpatrick Road, near the Crawford County line. A woman was on Ohio 4 driving her Buick minivan southbound when she drifted over into the other lane. A man driving a pickup swerved to the right to avoid an accident, but he left the roadway and his vehicle got stuck in snow.
A man driving behind the pickup truck did not see the woman. The two ended up in a head-on collision, spinning off the road. Both vehicles were extensively damaged and both drivers were injured, but responsive. They were taken to a local hospital for treatment and are expected to survive.
Police still do not know what caused the woman to drift out of her lane, as the roads were not slippery. Was she distracted? Were drugs or alcohol involved? Although it may be apparent that the woman caused the accident by not staying in her lane, it's always good for the injured parties to obtain a copy of a police report or have some sort of documentation confirming that the allegedly negligent party was in fact at fault. This will be helpful for insurance companies as well as in a lawsuit should the injured man decide to sue for compensation.
Such a lawsuit can help a victim seek compensation for his or her damages. If a case is successful, then the victim may receive awards for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. These awards not only help the victim get back on his or her feet, but they also hold negligent drivers accountable, thereby deterring such reckless acts from occurring in the future.
Source: Bucyrus Telegraph, "Two hurt in 3-car crash on Ohio 4," Nick Bechtel, Jan. 9, 2013
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