On December 26, 2010, a Colorado state senator was involved in a fatal collision in the Texas Panhandle. The senator was driving north on US 385. She was wearing her seatbelt. Her son and two grandsons were unrestrained without seat belts.
The senator’s vehicle drifted into the southbound lane and collided with a SUV, occupied by a family of four. All four, husband, wife, and two kids, were wearing seatbelts. The husband and the two kids survived. The wife suffered fatal injuries.
The three passengers in the senator’s vehicle were ejected. The state police report that, after the collision, the senator picked up her three year old grandson and put him in a child restraint seat in her vehicle. The senator says she has no recollection of the accident.
The senator has sponsored seatbelt legislation in the Colorado state senate. The legislation requires proper restraints for children in automobiles.
New Mexico personal injury lawyers know from experience that seat belts save lives. They frequently make the difference between life and death on New Mexico highways. The accident in the Texas Panhandle is an exception to the rule.
People who are ejected in highway crashes usually suffer devastating injuries or death. The grandsons were treated in the ER and released. The son was hospitalized. Five of those in the accident were belted. The senator was treated at the scene. The husband and the kids in the SUV had minor injuries. The wife, 7 months pregnant, died during surgery. Her newborn son survived in critical condition.
When a tragic accident happens on a New Mexico highway, New Mexico personal injury lawyers attempt to secure compensation for the victims. A New Mexico personal injury lawyer cannot undo the death or erase the injury. The lawyer may be able to lighten the burdens for the bereaved and for the injured.