Georgia State Patrol says that a 15-year-old girl was speaking on a cellphone when the Lincoln Navigator SUV she was driving struck a car in Lee County and badly injured the other driver. The accident took place at approximately 6:00 p.m. on Highway 82 near Tower Lane on March 12. According to media reports, several eyewitnesses told responding police officers that the girl had been using a phone when she crashed. She has been cited for using a telecommunications device while driving, not fastening her safety belt and failing to yield.
The collision occurred when a Saturn station wagon pulled from Tower Lane onto Highway 82 and into the path of the approaching Lincoln. A GSP report reveals that the Navigator struck the Saturn on its driver’s side with such force that the woman behind the wheel was ejected. She suffered several serious injuries, but paramedics say that she remained alert and responsive as they treated her.
The grave nature of the woman’s injuries led first responders to call in a helicopter to transfer her to a trauma center in nearby Macon. The girl’s mother and brother, who were traveling in the SUV with her, were also injured in the accident. Initial reports do not reveal the extent of their injuries or the status of the woman airlifted to Macon.
Pursuing personal injury lawsuits against minors is not always prudent even if the facts are clear and negligence can be established. This is because children often make sympathetic defendants and rarely have the means to make restitution. However, when presented with facts like these, attorneys seeking compensation for accident victims could initiate litigation against the negligent child’s parents or the applicable auto insurance company.
