Alcohol is an important factor in many of the nation’s traffic accident fatalities and related injuries. It seems to have been a factor in the much publicized death of former Auburn football star, Philip Lutzenkirchen, in a deadly car crash just outside of LaGrange in Georgia last Sunday.
It appears that the driver of the vehicle, at least, had been consuming alcohol; in fact, possibly all four occupants of the Chevrolet Tahoe which failed to stop at an intersection in the early morning had been drinking.
The vehicle hit a ditch after crossing the intersection at speed, was airborne for over 40 feet and then rolled over several times before coming to a stop. Two of the occupants were killed, while the other two were injured and were removed to hospital.
At present, the accident is still being investigated and only the two dead occupants have been tested for alcohol. The tests are going to take quite a long time, according to a police spokesperson.
The fact that the two people killed in the accident – Lutzenkirchen, who used to play for Auburn up to 2010, and the driver were not wearing a safety belt may have been a factor in their deaths, but considering what happened to the vehicle, it was amazing anyone survived at all. In fact, the two passengers who were not killed actually managed to get to a nearby resident’s home and ask the owner to alert the police before returning to the scene of the accident.
Whether the two survivors intend launching a personal injury claim as a result of their injuries is not clear at this stage, but in similar circumstances, a lawsuit could be filed against the driver of the vehicle if it can be proven that he was driving over the legal limit or it can be demonstrated his driving was to blame for the accident.
Injured victims of accidents such as the one that Lutzenkirchen was involved in often have to wait for what can seem an eternity to receive compensation for the injuries received in an accident caused by a negligent driver. These sorts of delays can be hard to bear; there are many victims who settle with an insurance company far too soon or even fail to initiate a personal injury claim because they think they cannot wait for a lawsuit to be settled.
In many cases, these accident victims can arrange a pre-settlement loan from a suitable lawsuit funding enterprise. These loans enable the injured victims to get on with life without having to worry about paying the bills.
Because of the lengthy time period involved in personal injury claims, it can be very troubling financially for litigants. Insurance companies often offer to pay compensation early on in a claim, especially when the claim looks as if it is likely to be won in the long run. Many claimants feel that there is no option but to accept the offer, because they are short of cash as a result of medical bills and loss of income.
This is where lawsuit funding can come in very handy. The pre settlement loan is actually a purchase of a portion of the claim amount and is dependent on winning the lawsuit. The “lawsuit loan” is normally advanced if the plaintiff has an attorney and there is a strong likelihood of settlement. Pre settlement loans are only paid back if the lawsuit reaches settlement and there are no restrictions on the use of the money.
