Tennessee bicyclist struck, killed by vehicle

According to authorities, a 55-year-old dentist from Columbia was killed on Dec. 1, when a vehicle struck him as he was bicycling on Bryant Station Road. The accident reportedly occurred at 6:22 a.m.

Authorities reported that a 25-year-old driver was approaching a curve on Bryant Station Road when she struck the 55-year-old cyclist, who had been riding alongside another cyclist at the time. That second bicyclist was not injured in the incident, reportedly.

Officials pronounced the 55-year-old man dead at the scene of the incident. According to government statistics, this fatality represents the fifth reported bicyclist death in Tennessee in 2014. There were eight reported cyclist deaths in 2013.

Authorities stated that the 55-year-old man left behind a spouse and two children. In the event that the preponderance of evidence in this case were to demonstrate that the fatal accident was the direct result of another individual’s actionable conduct, such as negligent or reckless driving, the deceased man’s family may wish to retain a lawyer and press forward with a wrongful death lawsuit in civil court. Many bereaved families take this course of action following a fatal accident as a means of mitigating the damages they suffered due to the crash.

By sufficiently demonstrating negligence on the part of the at-fault individual, claimants in a wrongful death suit may be awarded restitution for many of the losses they suffered. This can help offset the costs associated with their loved one’s end-of-life medical care, funeral service and estate administration. Moreover, the civil award may also help families recover lost wages if the decedent had been a provider for dependents and an economic contributor to the household.

Source: The Daily Herald , “Local dentist dies in cycling accident”, Kara Coleman , December 02, 2014