As every insurance claims adjuster knows, car accidents are a frequent occurrence. It is only the worst of them that make the news. The accident that claimed the life of Jiovanni Melendrez was practically the worst scenario for a car accident. In November 2024, Melendrez was driving alone on Hidalgo Rural Road in Eddy County just after 2:00 in the morning. He was 18 years old and, according to the police report about the accident, had consumed alcohol before driving. He lost control of the car, and it overturned on the road shoulder, ejecting him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Vehicles overturning and drivers or passengers being ejected are two of the deadliest things that can happen in a car accident. The families of people killed in single-vehicle accidents have the right to seek compensation from the parties responsible for the accident, if any such parties are responsible. For example, a bar that served alcohol to an underage or already intoxicated patron might be responsible under dram shop liability laws. Product liability laws could apply if a manufacturer’s defect in the car contributed to the accident. If you sustained serious injuries in a single vehicle accident, contact a Santa Fe car accident lawyer.
Occupants Being Ejected From the Vehicle
Your chances of surviving a car accident are greater if you stay inside the vehicle than if you are ejected, even if it takes rescuers a long time to get you out. You may have heard that seatbelts save more lives than any other safety feature, even the ones that are much newer and more expensive. This is because seatbelts prevent you from being ejected.
Vehicles Overturning
Accidents where a vehicle overturns are also more likely to involve fatalities than accidents where all the vehicles involved stay upright. If any of the occupants of the car are not wearing seatbelts, the chances are high that they will be ejected if the car overturns. Even if everyone is wearing seatbelts and no one is ejected, it is bad news if the car lands on its roof. The roof is almost the only part of the car that does not have airbags.
A Car Striking Another Car or a Stationary Object Head-On
The worst angle of collision for two cars is head-on, where the front of one car strikes the front of the other. This is not due only to the angle of collision but also to the fact that cars that cannot avoid striking another car head-on are usually headed for trouble anyway. Most head-on collisions occur when a car crosses the center lane. This only happens if the driver is drunk or under the influence of drugs, or if the driver lost control of the car because he or she was driving too fast.
Contact Slate Stern About Personal Injury Lawsuits
Slate Stern is a personal injury lawyer who represents plaintiffs injured in car accidents. Contact Slate Stern in Santa Fe, New Mexico, or call (505)814-1517 to discuss your case.
Sources
https://sanangelolive.com/news/crashes/2024-11-27/18-year-old-ejected-and-killed-eddy-county-crash
Photo by Anthony Maw on Unsplash