Sometimes the victims of a motor vehicle accident consider themselves lucky to be alive. But surviving a horrendous auto accident is not always a matter of luck. Foresight, in the form of buckling a seat belt before setting out, has probably saved at least as many lives as luck. Police say three people who were hospitalized but are expected to survive a 3-vehicle car accident near Victor, Montana, about 35 miles south of Missoula, would not be alive had they not been wearing their seat belts.
The crash occurred on a Thursday afternoon on U.S. 93 South. A pickup truck was headed southbound on the highway when the driver reduced speed and then stopped in the left lane in order to make a left turn. A utility truck that didn’t slow down in time rear-ended the pickup while traveling at a high rate of speed. The pickup was pushed into oncoming traffic, and was then involved in a head-on collision with an SUV traveling north. The SUV rolled over multiple times. All three vehicles were totally destroyed.
One occupant of the utility truck and two occupants of the SUV were transported to local hospitals. State troopers report that while they were seriously injured, they are all expected to live. According to authorities, the victims’ lives were saved by their seat belts.
No one setting out on a journey in their car expects to be in a car accident. But accidents do happen, and they happen every day. Buckling up a seat belt before leaving on a trip, however short, might mean being able to live out the rest of one’s life.
Those who sustain a serious injury in a car accident caused by a negligent driver are entitled, under Montana law, to compensation for their injuries. Damages can be recovered in a civil lawsuit that will provide compensation for lost income, medical expenses, and pain and suffering.
Source: KPAX.com, “3 hurt in crash near Victor,” Melissa Rafferty, Feb. 8, 2013
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