Multi-Car Accident Kills 2, Shuts Down I-71

In the early morning hours of January 14, 2012, in Deerfield Township, a serious auto accident on I-71 left two dead and two listed in serious condition at Cincinnati area hospitals. According to Cincinnati’s News Channel 9, Danica McLester of Wilmington lost control of her vehicle and veered off the right side of the road around 4 a.m. Her vehicle struck a signpost, flipped, and came back onto the interstate.

Two of McLester’s rear seat passengers, Olivia French, 19, and Matt Shuttleworth, 18, were ejected from the vehicle. They later died at the scene of the accident. The car was struck by two other vehicles that failed to spot the accident. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, another car and a tractor-trailer hit McLester’s vehicle. Emergency crews had to use heavy equipment to extract McLester and another passenger, Derrek Jones, from the vehicle. The cause of the auto accident is still under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and no charges have been filed.

While McLester was listed in serious condition at Memorial Hospital and Jones was treated for minor injuries at Bethesda North Hospital, they could make full physical recoveries. However, the emotional wounds that come in the wake of such a horrific auto accident will heal far slower.

While fault has not yet been assigned in the accident, two young adults are dead. For the victims of auto accidents in Ohio, justice may be difficult to find. Many times, authorities never file criminal charges in cases similar to this one. Should authorities actually file charges, courts usually assign a minimum sentences to those responsible for auto accidents. Understandably, the victims of auto accidents are confused by the justice system’s unfairness.

By consulting an Ohio auto accident attorney or personal injury lawyer, accident victims can begin finding closure. Ohio state law allows the victims of auto accidents to seek recompense in both civil court and criminal court. Ohio injury attorneys work through the civil court system to provide accident victims with justice. State law allows victims of auto accidents to ask for compensation for medical expenses, funeral costs, lost earnings, pain and suffering, property damage, and potentially punitive damages. The personal injury attorneys at the Rothchild law firm work specifically in the Ohio, Cincinnati, Green Township, Cheviot, Delhi, Cleves, Harrison, Springdale, Anderson, Sharonville, Batavia, Montgomery areas.

The Rothchild law firm, comprised of Ohio accident lawyers practicing in the greater Cincinnati area, has years of expertise in getting the verdicts their clients deserve. While filing civil charges cannot bring back victims of auto accidents, it can help families find closure.

If you or a family member is a victim of an auto accident where another driver could be to blame, you need to contact an accident lawyer immediately. To contact a wrongful death attorney for legal advice call us at 513-579-8900 or click here.