Tennessee jury awards $3 million after a 2011 car wreck

A fatal 2011 car wreck happened when the driver of a Toyota Camry lost control of her vehicle. She hit a road sign, crossed into the eastbound lanes and crash into the Mercedes driven by one of the victims. The elderly passenger of the Mercedes passed away nearly two weeks later, while the driver suffered severe injuries to his legs. The 57-year-old Tennessee driver will always suffer as a result of the injuries from the car wreck. Recently, a jury ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, awarding damages of $3 million.

Another driver implicated in the case, as well as the state, was considered without blame by the jury. According to a representative for the defendant held accountable, the other driver nearly moved in front of the Camry, leading to her losing control of her car, but witnesses contradicted the evidence. It was also argued that the state should share liability as there was no form of barrier between the two highway lanes. The judge in the case dismissed the claims. The jury thereafter placed all the blame on the Camry’s driver.

The jury awarded $1.96 million to the driver of the Mercedes for the permanent injuries he has suffered as well as the number of operations he had to undergo. The estate of the victim who died received a little more than $1 million. The total award of $3 million is the biggest amount ever awarded to date by a jury in Rutherford County.

In Tennessee, seriously injured victims of a car wreck may choose to initiate a personal injury claim against a driver deemed negligent, while the family of a deceased victim may choose to file a wrongful death claim. Civil claims arising from a car wreck, where the evidence suggests that negligence on the part of a driver was the root cause of the accident, may result in a judicial award of monetary damages. These often include remuneration for medical bills and/or funeral expenses, loss of income and pain and suffering related to the accident.

Source: murfreesboropost.com, “$3 million wreck verdict”, Sam Stockard, July 3, 2014