Avoid Trying To Cross Rising Streams

Two Campbell County men owe their lives to the fast responding deputies who rescued them from their submerging vehicle during recent heavy rains.

The men were riding in a truck that had attempted to cross the flooded creek when it stalled, and the rapidly rising water prevented the two from escaping. A Jellico Rescue Squad vehicle arrived. The two CCSO officers and a member of the rescue squad extended a ladder from the creek bank to the vehicle, creating a bridge.

Officer Shane Wolfenbarger stood in the water and steadied the ladder, while officer Joe Marlow crawled across the ladder to rescue the two passengers. Moments after the men were safe, the rising water swept the truck away.

Many thanks from the attorneys and staff at Phillip Miller & Associates to these brave officers who, during just another day at work, saved the lives of two human beings. The lesson here for Tennessee drivers, once again, is to avoid rising water. Make other arrangements or take time to use another route.

For these and other Tennessee highway traffic safety tips contact the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

She Was Clean Shaven

How many times have I said that I thought I had seen it all, only to be surprised by some other act of sheer idiocy by a driver? Well, my dear readers, I think I have heard it all today. As you know, distracted driving is a serious problem on the highways and byways of this great country of ours. Statistics show that 80% of automobile accidents are caused by a distracted driver.

A distracted driver is one who is not looking, thinking or paying attention to the road as they motor along the highway. Leading causes of distractions are cell phone use, eating, sleeping, talking to passenger or just drifting off thinking about something other than driving.

A case out of Florida adds a new reason to the list, when a woman crashes while she is busy shaving her huhah. That’s right folks, she was driving along a busy highway shaving her coochie when she rams into the rear-end, no pun intended, of a pickup truck. Thankfully no one was seriously injured.

To top it off, the woman was driving with an expired license because of multiple DUI convictions and her car was not properly registered or insured and now belongs to the State of Florida. Oh, she was also on probation for an unknown criminal offense.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have to avoid distractions while we are behind the wheel or we are going to die or kill someone else. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a distracted driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation. Call 615=356-2000

Do Drive Carefully

If I’ve said this once I’ve said it a hundred times, “motor vehicle are not toys to be played with, they are deadly weapons waiting to kill.” I usually write about accidents and driver foibles that occur in Tennessee, but I read a media report of, probably the worst case of driver negligence and stupidity that I have ever heard of and the case comes out of Naples Florida.

First of all, there are seven people in a pickup truck in a vacant lot. None of them have their seatbelts on and the driver decides to spin some donuts.  The vehicle flipped over, ejects the driver and front seat passenger and rolls over on them, killing them at the scene. Another passenger was killed and several others were seriously injured. Does this sound like fun to you?  It takes all kinds.

The lesson for Tennessee drivers, repeated once more, is that motor vehicle are dangerous and if you play with them like they are toys you’re going to be sorry, real sorry. One more thing, seat belts work, they save lives but only if you buckle them.

If you or a loved one is killed or injured in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a candidate for “The Stupidest Tennessee Driver”, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Teen Driver

Over and over in my Blogs I remind Tennessee drivers to keep a lookout for other drivers. Danger on the roads can come from so many different places. Some of the more familiar ways would include drunk or distracted drivers, drivers who are suffering from a medical emergency or prescription drug reaction, or a speeding or aggressive driver.

This weekend I read a local media story about another kind of danger on the roads, a runaway teen driver, age 13 years, who stole a car from a neighbor had hit the road. Unfortunately she didn’t get far before she had a collision with a tractor-trailer at an intersection on Highway 53.

The media report lacks any information about the specifics of the crash but the young woman was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group. In 2008, about 3,500 teens in the United States aged 15–19 were killed and more than 350,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes.

Young people ages 15-24 represent only 14% of the U.S. population. However, they account for 30% ($19 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28% ($7 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among females.

For more highway safety tips visit the website of the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates, or call 615-356-2000.

In an effort to be a safe driver it is the duty of each driver to make periodic checks of all operating systems on their vehicles. It’s important to note how long it has been since you have had your brakes inspected by a qualified mechanic. Being able to stop your vehicle is rather important.

Other things such as turn signals and brake lights are important to make sure other drivers know what your intentions are and are able to avoid running into you. A dope dealer in Elizabethton will probably remember this advice the next time, probably many years from now, that he gets a chance to drive.

The 32-year-old dealer was driving in Elizabethton with a car full of dope and guns when he was stopped in a routine traffic stop because his taillights didn’t work. Can you believe it? Stupid is as stupid does. On top of it, he was driving through a drug-free school zone.

The man was arrested on one count of possession of a schedule II drug for resale, two counts of simple possession of a schedule II drug, one count of possession of a schedule III drug for resale, two count of simple possession of a schedule IV drug, one count of possession of a schedule VI drug for resale, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of a drug-free school zone.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a negligent driver you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Children Can't Protect Themselves

Friends and neighbors say the family is devastated by the death of a 4-year-old. For some reason her 36-year-old mother put her in the car and failed to secure her in a child safety seat. For some other unknown reason the mother was driving in such a manner that caused her to loose control and roll the vehicle.

I suspect that she was either distracted or was speeding. The Trooper who investigated the crash stated in the report that had the child been properly restrained there would have been a different outcome for this unfortunate child.

Child safety seats reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants (less than 1 year old) and by 54 percent for toddlers (1 to 4 years old) in passenger cars. Young children restrained in child safety seats have an 80 percent lower risk of fatal injury than those who are unrestrained.

Tennessee was the first state in the country to pass a Child Passenger Protection Law requiring children to be restrained in child safety seats (car seats and booster seats).

A.  A child under one year old, or any child weighing less than 20 pounds, must be in a child passenger restraint system (car seat) that is facing the rear of the car.

B. Children who are one through three years old, and who weigh more than 20 pounds, must be in a child passenger restraint system that is facing forward.

C. Children who are four through eight years old and whose height is under four feet, nine inches, must be in a belt positioning booster seat system (child booster car seat) and wearing a seatbelt.

The children can’t make the decision to protect themselves, this is the legal responsibility of the parents. It is also the responsibility of the parents to teach by example.  If you are driving and witness a parent driving without having their child properly restrained it is your duty to notify the authorities. Call 911 is you are in an urban area and *847 in a rural area. Make the call and save a child’s life.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee highway automobile accident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident law firm of Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to determine your rights and remedies.

Drop A Dime On Dangerous Driving

For regular readers of this Blog you know that I often call on Tennessee drivers to take an active roll in Tennessee highway safety. First I ask each of you to obey the traffic laws, avoid distractions and keep a lookout for other drivers. The other thing I ask you to do is to get involved. By this I mean, use your cell phone and report dangerous drivers to police.

If you witness a dangerous, drunk or aggressive driver get the tag number, a description of the vehicle and driver and pull over and call police to report them. In rural areas dial *847 for the State Troopers and in urban areas call 911.

A recent incident in Johnson City, Tennessee makes clear that citizen involvement can save lives. A number of citizens called police to report a dangerous driver. Police came to the scene, interviewed witnesses and arrested a 60-year-old man who was obviously so drunk he could barely stand, much less drive a motor vehicle.

These good citizens took a dangerous man off the street and possibly saved lives. My hat is off to these fine citizens for taking action.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a drunk, dangerous or aggressive driver, call us at Phillip Miller & Associates, and let us put our experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers to work protecting your rights. 615-356-2000

Avoid Distractions

According to witnesses following a white Chevy S-10 driven by a 28-year-old Henry County Tennessee man, he was not weaving or showing any signs that he was impaired, he simply drifted over into the oncoming lane and slammed head-on into a vehicle driven by a 48-year-old man. The 28-year-old was killed and pronounced at the scene, the other man was flown to Nashville and his condition today is unknown.

Investigators are unsure what caused the accident but as an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I can tell you that one of two things are in play here. The first is that the S-10 driver suffered a medical emergency or some kind of a drug reaction. An autopsy will reveal the answer to this question.

The second, and probably the most likely, is that the S-10 driver was distracted by something, probably a cell phone or other electronic device. Investigators will study the dead man’s cell phone records to determine whether he was using the device at or near the time of the crash.

Distractions are said to be the cause of over 80% of the accidents and near accidents on the highways of the United States. Studies show that using a cell phone, whether hands free or hand-held, impairs the driver at the same level as if he/she were legally intoxicated. (.08)

Have you or a loved one been injured in a Nashville motorcycle accident or auto accident as a result of distracted driving or other negligent driving?  If so, you should call the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates, a Nashville motorcycle accident lawyer from our law firm will fight to help you win. We will treat you with the utmost compassion and respect. Call us today and speak with an experienced Nashville personal injury lawyer to discuss the details of your case. Call (615) 356-2000.

Tractor-Trailer Fatality

This is the scene. I-75 in rural east Tennessee somewhere near 3 AM. A 43-year-old professional truck is traveling in excess of 85 MPH in the right lane. In front of him is another tractor-trailer traveling at 45 MPH with his safety blinkers. For some unknown reason driver one doesn’t notice the safety lights or the fact that he is bearing down on the trailer and slams into it.

The speeding trucker died at the scene. What was going on in the cab of his truck? Did he fall asleep? Was he talking on his cell phone? These are all questions that police investigators are going to have to answer, and the chore won’t be an easy one. Bottom-line here is that something kept the driver from seeing the road ahead.

What does this mean to you if you or a family member are the victim of a Tennessee tractor-trailer accident and suffer a serious or life threatening injury?  It means that the trucking company has a huge advantage in investigating the cause of the accident and developing a strategy for its defense to any claim that arises.

During one of these situations evidence can disappear and negligent drivers can be coached on what to say to police investigators. The trucking company has the benefit of an expert that was actually at the accident scene. This may not be possible for the victim since injuries are usually severe in nature. Needless to say it is important to act quickly so that an expert can examine the evidence on your behalf.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Tennessee tractor-trailer accident caused by a driver who is distracted or following too close, you owe it to yourself to immediately contact the experienced tractor-trailer attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates.

Speed + Teen Driver = Death

The 16-year-old female teen driver died at the scene of a two car accident in Gibson County Tennessee the other day. According to local media and police reports, the teen driver lost control in a curve on Tennessee highway 420, crossed the center line and slammed head-on into a Honda Pilot driven by a 33-year-old man who was accompanied by his wife and two children.

As an experienced Tennessee auto accident attorney I can tell you that one or two things played a role in the driver losing control. She was either speeding and/or distracted as she entered the curve. From the description of the accident in the media, and the final location of the deceased’s car, I’d say speed was the culprit. My prayers go out to the family and friends of the teen driver and my prayers for a speedy and complete recovery go out to the man and his family.

Have you or a loved one been injured in a Nashville motorcycle accident or auto accident as a result of distracted driving or other negligent driving?  If so, you should call the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates, a Nashville motorcycle accident lawyer from our law firm will fight to help you win. We will treat you with the utmost compassion and respect. Call us today and speak with an experienced Nashville personal injury lawyer to discuss the details of your case. Call (615) 356-2000.