Authorities are reporting an increase in fatal car accidents in Blount County, Maryville and the surrounding areas, according to The Daily Times.
Maryville accident lawyers have witnessed a decrease in fatal car accidents in recent years. But many expect that trend to reverse itself as the nation climbs out of the depths of the Great Recession.
Blount County reported 16 traffic fatalities last year, compared to the 10 fatalities reported in 2009. The Tennessee Department of Safety reported that 14 fatal accidents were responsible for the 16 traffic fatalities.
Nine of the fatal accidents occurred in Alcoa, two in rural Blount County and one in Maryville. The Tennessee Highway Patrol handled three crashes and one was worked by the National Park Service.
The Alcoa police department reported that drunk driving was responsible for several of the fatal accidents it handled. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that drunk driving was responsible for 303 of the 989 fatal Tennessee traffic accidents in 2009.
Nationwide, about one-third of traffic fatalities involves a drunk driver; somewhere in America a motorist is killed in a drunk driving accident every 45 minutes.
Authorities also stress the importance of wearing seat belts, saying about half of last year’s traffic fatalities in Blount County could have been prevented by seat belt use. However, authorities are pleased with the overall use of seat belts in Tennessee, which increased to 87 percent last year.
The fatal Maryville car accident involved a teenager who lost control of a Chevy Blazer and drove into the median on U.S. 321.
If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a car accident in Tennessee, contact Hartsoe Law Firm, P.C. for a confidential appointment to discuss your rights with our Knoxville injury lawyers and Maryville accident attorneys. Call (877) 472-5657.