An 18-year-old man from Macon was hit and dragged by a pickup truck as he stood on the roadside, talking to friends. The accident happened on Knight Road in northwest Macon at about 12:30 Sunday morning, when 18-year-old Tyler Hart pulled over on the side of the road and stepped out of his pickup truck to talk to friends. That is when a 48-year-old driver of another pickup truck came around a slight curve in the road, crossed into the opposing travel lane, and struck Hart and his truck.
Hart died at the scene from his injuries. The at-fault driver and two passengers in Hart’s pickup were treated at the hospital for minor injuries. The at-fault driver was subsequently arrested for involuntary manslaughter.
In Georgia, family members who have lost a loved one as a result of someone else’s careless or reckless actions can pursue compensation for their losses through a wrongful death lawsuit. This is a legal claim filed in civil court, generally filed within two years of the date of the accident, that seeks to establish who was at-fault for the accident as well as to show the expenses and emotional impacts that the death has had on the deceased’s loved ones. In addition to surviving parents, other survivors such as a deceased person’s spouse or children can also file a claim.
The compensation that can be sought in this type of claim includes medical expenses related to the treatment of the deceased’s final injury, funeral and burial expenses, conscious pain and suffering that the injured person endured between the time of injury and the time of death, and the loss of care and companionship that the deceased provided to his or her loved ones. If you have lost a loved one due to a reckless driver, contact us to learn more about your legal options.