Avoid Distractions

A late night motorcycle crash will pose some interesting questions for the Tennessee State Trooper investigating the crash. According to local media reports, a 42-year-old Bristol, VA man driving a 2007 Harley Davidson, was traveling north on US Hwy. 421 when it crossed over the southbound lane of traffic and left the road.  The motorcycle then struck wooden guard posts.

What events could cause a driver to cross and leave the road and strike guardrails? As an experienced Nashville motorcycle accident attorney, my guess is that the man might have fallen asleep as he drove. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any of the facts at the case, but I have seen crashes like this one and drowsy driving was the casue.

The lesson here for Nashville drivers is that we all must avoid distractions when we are driving on the highways and byways of Tennessee. If you are taking medication of any kind, pay particular attention to the instructions and remind yourselves to keep an eye on your driving

Injured is a motor vehicle accident? If so you owe it to your family and friends to call for a free consultation with the motorcycle accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates, and find out about yourrights and remedies. Call 615-356-2000.

Stay Awake at the Wheel

The Sullivan County, Tennessee Sheriff’s investigators will have an interesting task in determining just what caused a driver to slam into the rear-end of a tractor-trailer on I-81 last night. As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney, based on the fact that the accident occurred around 3 AM,  I would opine that the driver fell aseep at the wheel. A police report noted that the man was not wearing his seat belt.

It is well established that driving while drowsy or fatigued increases one’s risk of being involved in a motor vehicle crash. However, estimates of the prevalence of drowsy drivers on the road and of the proportion of motor vehicle crashes that involve drowsy driving as a contributing factor vary widely.

A survey in the year 2002 found that more than one in three drivers admitted having fallen asleep while driving at some point in their lives; more than one in ten reported doing so in the past year. The most frequently cited statistics suggest that drowsy driving might contribute to roughly 1 to 4 percent of crashes; however, research using more sophisticated methodology suggests that the true prevalence may be much higher.

If you are having trouble staying awake, please pull over and allow another person to drive. If you are alone, get outside and get yourself awake by walking, jumping and other physical activity. If necessary, pull to safety and take a brief nap.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a drowsy driveontact the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates to find out about your rights.

Truck Accident

We often talk about the danger distracted driving causes. Some source say that as many as 80% of accidents are caused by driver distractions. We often point, with good reason, to cell phone use as a major player in distracting drivers.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a sneezing driver as being distracted until I read about an accident near Murfreesboro Tennessee. It seems that a Megabus carrying passengers from Atlanta to Nashville was rammed from behind by a tractor-trailer on I-24 and the driver of the truck claimed that he was distracted because he was sneezing.

According to local media sources, the bus entered a construction zone and slowed as instructed, when it was hit by the truck. Fortunately, no one in the bus was injured but the driver of the tractor-trailer was transported to a local hospital. The extent of his injuries is not known at this time.

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.

Time is of the essence in these type of  cases. Although most cases can be reconstructed at a later time it is important to have someone looking out for your best interests as soon as possible. That’s why it’s important to contact an experienced Tennessee tractor-trailer accident lawyer like those you will find at Phillip Miller & Associates. If you or a loved one is injured in a car tractor-trailer accident act quickly and take advantage of a no-cost no-obligation consultation and learn about your rights and put our crack team of lawyers and investigators on the case.

Head-On Fatality

Witnesses say the woman driver drifted across the middle lane and slammed head-on into a Franklin, Kentucky police officer driving a marked police cruiser. The officer had to be extricated from the vehicle and was taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. He was listed in stable condition.

Our prayers go out to the family of the deceased, and to the officer wishing him a full and speedy recovery. Investigators will have their hands full trying to figure out why the woman crossed the center-line.

Whenever you see an accident, usually involving one car that leaves the road or crosses the center-line, an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer starts thinking about driver distractions. Just what was the driver doing moments before the crash that caused his/her vehicle to go off the highway? What caused the driver to change focus from driving to other things?

I’ve noticed several accidents like this in East Tennessee this past week and I thought I might use them as examples to my reader of why it is so important to keep your focus on your driving and ignore distractions.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville automobile accident caused by a distracted driver you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Tennessee Speed Related Fatality

An Erin, Tennessee teen driver died last week in a one-vehicle roadway departure crash Shortly after midnight. According to local media reports the young man and his passenger, were traveling west on Tenn. 49 sometime before 12:40 a.m. Monday morning. A couple miles east of Tenn. 13 in Erin, he lost control of the vehicle for an unknown reason as he came out of a sharp, right-hand curve.

As the car hit the edge of the road, it went airborne and overturned, ejecting the man, whose body came to rest on the embankment on the south side of the road west of the vehicle. The car ended up in a creek. The man was ejected which often indicates that he didn’t have his seat belt on. The injured passenger was able to make a 911 call.

According to a Trooper report, speed was a factor in the accident, but any other conclusions would have to wait until the investigation is complete. In 2006, there were 38,588 fatal crashes resulting in 42,642 deaths. Rural areas accounted for 55 percent of the fatal crashes and 56 percent of the fatalities. Urban areas accounted for 45 percent of the fatal crashes and 44 percent of the fatalities.

According to the 2006 Census, 23 percent of the U.S. population lived in rural areas, however, rural fatalities accounted for 56 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2006. From 1997 to 2006, rural fatalities decreased 7 percent whereas urban fatalities increased by 9 percent.

The lesson here is that no matter where you are, the interstate highway or the rural roads that wind through this beautiful state of ours, you have to be alert and mindful of your task. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee car crash, whether on a highway or a byway, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and let us help you recover damages for your injuries and loss.

Tennessee Roadway Fatlity

This past Friday afternoon a 62-year-old Oliver Springs man was killed in a one-car roadway departure crash in Anderson County, Tennessee. According to local media reports the man was traveling westbound on Oliver Springs Highway when he lost control, swerved across the intersection of Bill Key Lane, went airborne, and then flipped into a pond. Police told local media that the man was wearing his seat belt.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney, I’m left to wonder what caused the man to lose control. From the article, I would assume that the man was speeding and was not able to negotiate a turn or was somehow distracted in the seconds before leaving the road.

Numerous studies point to driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.  Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee car crash by a distracted driver or a case like the present one that will require and experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyer contact the lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies. Call 615-356-2000.

Teen Driver Dies

According to local news reports an 18-year-old Cookeville teenager was killed in a traffic crash on the Gainesboro Grade in Jackson County on Wednesday afternoon. Three passengers, a 39-year-old woman, an 80-year-old man, and a 57-year-old woman, all of Gainesboro, Tennessee were injured.

The facts of the accident are confusing, at best. It appears that the teen driver was driving westbound in the eastbound lane and crashed head-on into an oncoming van. The driver was not wearing his seatbelt. The three people in the van were all injured but the report doesn’t describe their injuries.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney, I’ll have to say, I’m confused and have lots of questions. The main question is why was the young driver in the wrong lane, followed by why he was not wearing his seatbelt. I’ll keep up with this story and try to gather more facts. Was he passing another car? Was he somehow incapacitated by a medical problem? Was he distracted in some way?

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville automobile accident contact the experienced Tennessee auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation. Call 615-356-2000.

Distracted Driving Kills

The source of the distraction that caused a Giles County, Tennessee man to take his eyes off the road long enough for his vehicle to veer across the center line into oncoming traffic and then leave the road and end up in a creek, will be the focus of the police investigation into the death of the man’s wife and injury to an infant in the car.

Whenever you see an accident, usually involving one car that leaves the road, an experienced automobile accident starts thinking about driver distractions. Just what was the driver doing moments before the crash that caused his/her vehicle to go off the highway? What caused the driver to change focus from driving to other things?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.  Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness. Each of these accidents had the potential to have taken numerous other lives but somehow that didn’t happen.

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.

Hybrid Vehicle Safety

Hybrids have a safety edge over their conventional twins when it comes to shielding their occupants from injuries in crashes, new research by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, shows. On average, the odds of being injured in a crash are 25 percent lower for people in hybrids than people traveling in nonhybrid models.

“Weight is a big factor,” says Matt Moore, HLDI vice president and an author of the report. “Hybrids on average are 10 percent heavier than their standard counterparts. This extra mass gives them an advantage in crashes that their conventional twins don’t have.” He notes that other factors, such as how, when, and by whom hybrids are driven, also may contribute. Researchers included controls to reduce the impact these differences may have had on the results.

The new finding is more good news for green-minded drivers who don’t want to trade safety for fuel economy. Not so long ago, car buyers had to choose between the two because fuel-efficient cars tended to be smaller and lighter. Now, consumers have more options than ever when it comes to picking an environmentally friendly — and crashworthy — vehicle.

“Saving at the pump no longer means you have to skimp on crash protection,” Moore says.

In the study, HLDI estimated the odds that a crash would result in injuries if people were riding in a hybrid versus the conventional version of the same vehicle. The analysis included more than 25 hybrid-conventional vehicle pairs, all 2003-11 models, with at least 1 collision claim and at least 1 related injury claim filed under personal injury protection or medical payment coverage in 2002-10.

For this and other highway safety data, check out the web site for the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates, or call 615-356-2000.

Drinking and Driving In Nashville Will Cost You

The attorney’s and staff at Phillip Miller & Associates are happy to report great news this week in Nashville’s effort to reduce drunk driving injuries and fatalities. Officers paid through a Governor’s Highway Safety Office grant charged 18 persons with DUI last weekend in the police department’s continuing DUI initiative using extra duty officers.

These officers target impaired drivers Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. in areas with a propensity for fatal crashes, crime and DUI arrests. Additionally, the DUI Unit, the front line in this righteous crusade, charged 49 persons last week with driving under the influence.

Public education, enhanced visibility on Nashville’s roadways and zero tolerance for impaired drivers are the cornerstones of the police department’s DUI initiative. So far this year, extra duty officers working under the grant have arrested 32 suspected drunk drivers, a 45% increase over this time last year. The DUI Unit has arrested 98 suspected drunk drivers, an 88% increase over this time last year.

We here at Phillip Miller & Associates send out a big “Thank You” shout-out to the brave members of the Metro Police. Thank You.