A car accident can change your life in an instant, especially if it’s a serious one that causes injuries. If you were the one injured, you could be laid up for weeks, months or even permanently. You might be unable to work and could possibly even lose your job, resulting in a loss of income.
If you were the person who caused the accident, you could also face some trouble. If you are found to have broken the law, you could be hit with fines, jail time or both. You might also find yourself the defendant of a personal injury lawsuit, as a school board member in Pennsylvania did recently.
A woman in Wilson Borough is suing the school board member for a crash that happened in November. The damages are unspecified, but the woman claims to have suffered physical and mental pain, anguish and humiliation from the accident, which happened as she and her husband were approaching a hard curve in a road. The school board member’s car crossed the yellow line and collided with the turning car, causing an accident so severe that the roof had to be cut off in order to extricate the woman. She was rushed to a hospital with a fractured pelvis, five broken ribs, a broken wrist and a cut spleen, in addition to other cuts and bruises.
The school board member, who was not seriously injured, was issued a summary charge of failure to keep right. If found guilty of that charge at his February court appearance, he’ll face a fine of less than $50. He didn’t give a reason for crossing the yellow line at the time of the accident; perhaps this will come out in court.
Meanwhile, the injured woman says she may no longer be able to work. Although the school board member may only walk away with charges amounting to a small fine, he could end up paying out much more in the personal injury lawsuit. If that happens, both of them will end up deeply affected by the accident.
Source: Lehigh Valley Live, “Wilson Borough woman sues Pat Vulcano Jr. over injuries from November car crash,” Tom Shortell, Dec. 29, 2011