Newberry Man Dies In Single-Vehicle Crash After Pickup Truck Hits Tree

If you are wondering whether seatbelts save lives, you need only look at the statistics from right here in South Carolina.  Seven people died in car accidents in Newberry, South Carolina in the first half of 2021, and five of them were not wearing seatbelts.  Of the 501 traffic fatalities throughout the state of South Carolina this year, 172 victims were adults without seatbelts or children without age-appropriate child safety seats.  In fact, of all the safety features that have become standard in cars since the invention of the automobile, seatbelts have contributed the most to reducing the rate of traffic fatalities.  This is largely because they prevent occupants from being ejected from the vehicle.  Your chances of getting trapped in a car after an accident are much lower than your chances of dying if you get thrown from the car.  Under South Carolina’s comparative fault law, you can still recover damages if your negligence contributed to your injuries; in other words, if your injuries would have been less severe if you had been wearing a seatbelt, you still have the right to file a car accident lawsuit.  If you have been injured in a car accident, no matter how many or how few of the people involved were wearing seatbelts, contact a South Carolina car accident lawyer.

Driver Ejected from Pickup Truck When It Flips

The crash happened in the midnight hour of July 3.  William Cook was driving a 2004 GMC pickup truck on Mudlick Road in Newberry County.  He was traveling south when it appears that his truck veered off of the right side of the road near the intersection with Rosezinnia Drive.  Cook apparently overcorrected, causing his truck to slide across all lanes of traffic and run off of the left side of the road.  The truck crashed into a ditch on the left side of the road.  This caused it to overturn and hit a tree.  Cook, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle.  He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.  He was 42 years old.

Your Rights If You Get Injured in a Single-Vehicle Crash

If you get injured in a single-vehicle crash where you were a passenger, you might have a case against the driver who caused the accident, especially if the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  If you were the driver, there could be other parties entirely or partly responsible for the accident.  For example, if the accident was due to a defective car part, it could be a case of product liability.  If the road was unsafe because of poor lighting or insufficient signage, you might have a case against the city or county.

Contact Us Today for Help

Your Columbia car accident lawyer may be able to help you recover damages after a single-vehicle accident.  Contact The Stanley Law Group for a consultation.

Resource:

hthestate.com/news/traffic/article252591363.html?utm_source=pushly&intcid=pushly_1150846