City: Sugarcreek Township, Ohio

County: Tuscarawas County, Ohio

Date: September 30, 2010

Type: Three-Car Accident
 
A couple from Tappan Lake were seriously injured in a three-car accident September 30. The crash closed Route 39 for over an hour while crews cleaned up the debris. The 73-year-old male and his 72-year-old wife were driving their van and rear-ended a stopped vehicle. An 80-year-old West Virginia man was stopped in traffic, as well as a 69-year-old New Philadelphia man, when the van hit one car and throwing it into the third. Medical personnel treated a total of four people. The wife was lying down in the back seat and was not wearing a seat belt. She was injured and transported to a local hospital. Her husband rode with her to the hospital and was then treated there, as well. The van was destroyed by a fire in the engine.

This accident illustrates the importance of wearing a seat belt. Not wearing a seat belt can result in serious injuries in a collision. Defense counsel may also argue that you contributed to your injury by not wearing a seat belt, and thus you should receive less compensation from the at fault party.  Contributory negligence.

In general, when a party hits another party from behind, they are usually cited for failure to leave an assured cleared distance.  The multiple impacts that the middle car suffered can lead to serious injuries. It can also be used to explain why even relatively small impacts can result in serious injuries. Juries tend to award more money in my experience when multiple impacts are involved. The jury must figure that it is more likely that the occupants were injured when they suffer multiple impacts.

Tuscarawas County, Ohio (population 90,914) had a total of 2,683 reported accidents in 2008, with 11 of those being fatal. 649 of the total reported accidents were injury crashes, resulting in a total of 950 injuries. Sugarcreek Township, Ohio (population 2,174) had a total of 60 reported accidents in 2008. Zero of those accidents were fatal, however 10 of them were injury crashes (13 total injuries).


If you've been seriously injured or have lost a loved one in a Sugarcreek truck / car accident, call the Tuscarawas County auto accident and wrongful death attorneys / lawyers at Chester Law Group at 1-800-218-4243 or order your FREE BOOK entitled The Insider’s Guide to Handling Ohio Accident Claims at www.ChesterLaw.com.