Charlotte Injury Lawyers Blog
Attorney Matthew R. Arnold answering the question: “What if a loved one dies from the injuries sustained in a serious accident while the case is pending?”
One tragic North Carolina accident highlights the very real danger of driving while exhausted. Troopers from the North Carolina Highway Patrol have said that a young man died in a single-car accident after a long day of shopping over Black Friday.
According to officials, the Gaston County, NC wreck happened after Patrick Henry Boyd, a 19-year-old from Clover, SC, fell asleep behind the wheel of his 2011 Honda Accord. Investigators say that the group had been shopping all night at Concord Mills and that accident reports indicate that the car was traveling about 50 miles per hour before drifting off of the road. Officials say that there was no evidence that Boyd tried to brake, another strong indication that he had fallen asleep. Emergency responders say there were four other people in the car at the time of the wreck, all of whom were asleep during the crash and all of whom were wearing seatbelts at the time.
The vehicle driven by Boyd ultimately drifted out of its lane and slammed into a sign located at 1901 South Point Road. Two of the passengers were in serious condition following the accident while another two were treated for relatively minor injuries. All four were transported to CaroMont Regional Medical Center in Gastonia.
Police investigators say they have since interviewed other passengers in the car who said that prior to the accident Boyd mentioned how tired he was. The accident serves as tragic reminder that driving while tried can be even more dangerous than driving drunk.
This was confirmed when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a study that found that fatigued driving is one of the leading causes of car accidents in the country. The study concluded that sleepy drivers are responsible for about 20 percent of all car wrecks.
The study further specified that drivers between 18 and 20 (Boyd was 19) were the most likely to be involved in accidents where fatigue played a role. Study authors said this is likely because teens and those in their early 20s are often sleep deprived, staying up late but then having to get up early for school. This sleep deprivation combines dangerously with their lack of driving experience to create a recipe for deadly accidents.
The study found that overall tired drivers, even those only moderately fatigued, are four times more likely to be involved in car accident than those who are properly rested. The accident serves as a painful remind for other families to stay off the road if you are tired. No errand is so important to be worth risking your life and the lives of those around you.
If you, or someone you know, have any questions regarding personal injury claims, please feel free to contact the experienced personal injury attorneys and lawyers in Charlotte, North Carolina at Arnold & Smith, PLLC for a free consultation. Call at 704-370-2828.
About the Author:
Matthew Arnold is a Managing Member with Arnold & Smith, PLLC where he focuses his practice on Personal Injury, Family Law and Business Litigation. Mr. Arnold began his career handling insurance defense litigation for several major insurance companies. He also went on to handle business litigation cases and high value mortgage fraud cases, primarily in Superior Court.
Mr. Arnold grew up in Charlotte, graduating from Providence Senior High School and continued his education at Belmont Abbey College on a basketball scholarship. After graduating cum laude he attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a full academic scholarship. In his spare time, Mr. Arnold enjoys golfing and spending time on the North Carolina Coast with his wife and three young children: two daughters and one son.
Source:
“Teen killed in car accident after Black Friday shopping,” published at WCNC.com.
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