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New sensor might help reduce fatal accident cases

On Behalf of | Sep 10, 2015 | Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents |

A woman recently recalled the agony that she and her family went through when her in-laws were struck and killed in 2013vby a wrong-way driver who was intoxicated. The North Carolina tragedy was one of many similar incidents where wrong-way motorists have caused serious collisions with others on the road. A new sensor has been developed and is being tested in another state that some say might help prevent a fatal accident of this nature from occurring in the future.

The sensor would alert drivers who have entered the highway in the wrong direction. If a driver is not alerted by the sensor and continues to travel in the wrong direction on the road, the sensor will alert law enforcement agencies of the urgent situation. Though many are supportive of the new devices, installing them on 2,500 miles of North Carolina roadways might prove difficult and expensive.

The Department of Transportation has acknowledged that something needs to be done in order to lower the risk of these accidents from occurring. In 2014, wrong-way crashes in the state increased by 67 percent. Between Jan. 2013 and Dec. 2014, there were 13 fatalities in these types of crashes on state roads.

If a North Carolina family does suffer the untimely death of a loved one in a fatal accident that has been caused by a wrong-way driver, a person driving under the influence or alcohol or any motorist acting negligently, immediate surviving members of the family have the right to file a legal claim on behalf of the deceased. In a successfully litigated case, compensation can be awarded that can be used to help alleviate the sometimes tremendous cost of a funeral, as well as other financial damages a family has incurred in connection with an accident. Contacting an experienced legal professional would be a logical first step to take when considering filing a legal claim.

Source: abc11.com, “North Carolina DOT studying rise in wrong-way crashes“, Heather Waliga, Accessed on Sept. 9, 2015

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