A Tragic End To A Family Vacation
An 11-year-old boy was killed in a car crash as he returned to Lafayette from a trip to Alabama.
The wreck occurred in Foley, as Cameron Bailey was on the way home with a family friend from a vacation in Orange Beach. According to police, a male driver in a red pick-up truck, whose name was not released, apparently suffered from a medical emergency just before he swerved into oncoming traffic. Five other people were injured, including the SUV driver.
Mr. Bailey would have been in the sixth grade at Our Lady of Fatima School this fall. One of his former teachers at the school said that the people he came into contact with “will never forget Cameron’s smile.”
Drivers’ Licenses Restrictions
Driving with a serious medical condition that may cause loss of consciousness, like epilepsy or heart disease, could be considered a breach of the duty of reasonable care whether or not there is a restriction on the tortfeasor’s (negligent driver’s) license, if the violation of the restriction caused or contributed to the car crash. Overall, a medical condition is one of seventy-two restrictions that the Department of Public Safety recognizes. Some of them include:
- Impaired Vision: The most common car crash related-restriction is 01 (must use glasses or contacts). Other drivers must use additional mirrors or only drive during daylight hours.
- Impaired Hearing: In a similar vein, these drivers must use hearing aids or additional mirrors, depending on the severity of the impairment.
- Loss of Arm or Leg: In most cases, these people can continue to drive, but must operate vehicles that have automatic transmissions and power steering.
- Restricted Driving Radius: Depending on the severity of the condition, drivers who have “slower than normal response times” due to age, disability, or impairment can only drive within a five to twenty-five mile radius of their homes.
- Restricted Velocity: For a similar reason, drivers may not be allowed to operate their vehicles on highways or above certain speeds.
Other restrictions include periodic medical exams and route restrictions.
If the car crash involved a wrongful death, the heir(s) of the deceased victim may obtain compensation for economic losses, such as funeral/burial expenses and the decedent’s future lost wages, as well as noneconomic damages, such as the decedent’s pain and suffering. There is a one-year statute of limitations in most wrongful death cases.
For prompt assistance with a car crash or other negligence claim, contact an experienced Lake Charles personal injury attorney at Hoffoss Devall. Our attorneys are licensed in both Louisiana and Texas.