Attorney Matthew R. Arnold answering the question: “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”
A Charlotte woman was injured after a car accident that took place earlier this week during the afternoon rush hour on I-485. The accident, which took place just after 6:30 p.m., happened along the I-485 outer loop between Providence Road and Rea Road.
North Carolina Highway Patrol has said that a 26-year-old driver, Kathleen Thomas was driving along I-485 when she pressed her brakes and lost control of her vehicle. Her car then spun out, crossed the median, clipped one vehicle and was ultimately hit by an oncoming SUV.
Charlotte emergency responders say it took the Fire Department a substantial amount of time to extract the woman from her smashed vehicle. Thomas was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries including a fractured pelvis and leg injuries. The driver of the SUV, who has not yet been identified, was also injured in the accident.
Police say that since the accident they have charged Thomas with reckless driving and DWI. An investigation after the wreck turned up six different medications in Thomas’ car which led to the impaired driving charges.
Though many drivers may not realize it, the problem of impaired driving is not limited to alcohol. Driving under the influence of prescription drugs raises many of the same concerns given that powerful medication can act on the brain to impair a person’s motor skills, reaction time and judgment. Drugged driving is a public health concern because it puts not only the driver at risk, but also passengers and others who share the road.