The 4th of July is a time for hot dogs, apple pie, fireworks and family get-togethers in Tennessee. Sadly, it also seems to be a time for an increase in the death toll on area roadways. As the holiday dawned this year, the life of a police officer came to an end. This tragedy could result in a wrongful death suit.
Early on the morning of the 4th, a Nashville policeman was on his way to answer a call involving a pedestrian incident. While he was driving through an intersection, another vehicle careened into him. The impact of the crash was said to have killed the officer instantly. The person who hit him was a 17-year-old juvenile who was fleeing a traffic stop at the time of the accident.
The 17-year-old has been charged as a juvenile and is facing charges of reckless vehicular homicide, driving without a license and violation of the juvenile curfew law. The young driver suffered minor injuries and was treated and released to police custody. An 18-year-old passenger in that car suffered critical injuries, and his condition is not known. It is also not known if alcohol contributed to the cause of the accident.
First responders put their lives on the line every day when they report for a shift in Tennessee. It is often in the back of loved ones’ minds that they might not come home. When a loved one is taken so tragically, the pain inflicted on the wives, parents and children of the deceased knows no bounds. There are no words that can adequately express one’s grief or convey sympathy to the bereaved. While nothing can replace the person, a successfully litigated wrongful death suit can provide compensation for medical costs, end of life costs and other verifiable losses.