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.

High Powered Motorcycle + Speed = Death

Combine a high-powered motorcycle, a sharp turn and high speed and the outcome isn’t going to come under the category of pretty. In what has come to be an all to familiar situation, a 37-year-old Nashville man was riding his 2005 Yamaha down Pettus Road when he failed to negotiate a curve and lost control. The man and the motorcycle landed on a concrete culvert.

As an experienced Tennessee motorcycle accident attorney I am concerned that while all other types of fatal crashes involving cars, trucks and pedestrians are on the decrease, motorcycle fatalities continue to rise. What lies at the cause of this phenomenon? Several things come to mind.

First of all manufacturers continue to make motorcycles bigger and faster. Sometimes known as “crotch rockets” these high-powered bikes require more skill and unfortunately anybody with the money or credit can buy one and without any specialized training, take to the highway.

As is the case here, motorcycles are more likely to be involved in a fatal collision with a fixed object than are other vehicles. In 2007, 25 percent of the motorcycles involved in fatal crashes collided with fixed objects, compared to 18 percent for passenger cars, 13 percent for light trucks, and 3 percent for large trucks.

Motorcycles made up nearly 3 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States in 2006 and accounted for only 0.4 percent of all vehicle miles traveled. Per vehicle mile traveled in 2006, motorcyclists were about 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and 8 times more likely to be injured.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee motorcycle accident caused by a careless motorcycle rider, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

The Dragon Claims Another

Earlier this year we reported on the death of 45-year-old Christiana motorcyclist who was killed on “The Dragon”, (US Highway 129) in August. This past week his family filed suit on behalf of his two children against the trucking company and the driver for damages in the amount of $14.5.

If you will recall the truck rounded a curve in the narrow winding highway and the backend of the trailer crossed into the other lane just as the motorcyclist was rounding the corner, the man was crushed by the rear wheels of the trailer. According to the suit the man lived for over an hour waiting for the ambulance and expired on the way to the hospital.

A number of motorcyclists started a campaign to persuade legislators to ban tractor-trailers longer than 30 feet from using the Dragon, an 11.1-mile stretch of U.S. 129 from Tabcat Creek to the North Carolina state line at Deals Gap, but the move is opposed by the Tennessee DOT on the grounds that it would have a negative economic impact in the area.

Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. Speeding is a dangerous game and can end in death for the speeder, the driver and passengers of the other vehicles and for innocent pedestrians. Fortunately no one else was involved in this accident

If you or a loved is seriously injured or killed in a Tennessee motorcycle accident by a speeding driver you ought to contact the experienced Tennessee motorcycle accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Practice Christmas Season Driving Safety

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney, I approach the Christmas holiday season with mixed emotions. It’s a time for family and friends, a time of hope and joy, the ending of another year, and on the other hand it’s the high season for drunk drivers. This morning I thought I might make a list of drunk driving facts to show you how this problem manifests itself.

* Most drunk drivers are males but statistics show that the number of women driving under the influence is definitely on the rise. Between 2004 and 2008 in Tennessee, impaired women drivers involved in fatal crashes increased by 4.7 percent.

* The group most likely to be involved in an alcohol related fatal crash will be men and women in the 21-24-year-old range. During the 2006 holiday season, alcohol was a factor in almost 37 percent of the fatal crashes with drivers this age. Compare that to drivers 44-54, where 20 percent of the fatal accidents involved alcohol

* While drivers 21-24 constituted 11 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2007, they made up 18 percent of all alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes.

* In 2008, about one-third of all fatal crashes involved alcohol-impaired drivers.

* Nationwide in 2008 there were 37,261 total highway fatalities with 11,773 of them involved alcohol-impaired drivers.

* In Tennessee there were 1035 fatalities during this same period with 327 involving alcohol-impaired drivers

December is National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, with assistance from other agencies, will staff more than 100 sobriety and driver’s license checkpoints through New Year’s Day. Don’t be a statistic, if you drive, don’t drink and if you drink don’t drive. If you see a or suspect a driver of being under the influence take action and call the police, you may save a life. In an urban are dial 911 and in a rural area dial *847 for the State Troopers.

If you are the victim of a Nashville or Tennessee automobile accident we urge you to contact our car accident attorneys today for a free consultation. When you hire an auto accident attorney from Phillip Miller & Associates, you’re getting a qualified and dedicated lawyer. Details about our attorneys and staff can be found by viewing our website at www.seriousinjury.com where you can get to know the men and women who will be looking out for your best interest. Call 615-356-2000.

Photo courtesy of the AAA Foundation For Traffic Safety

Avoid Distractions When Driving Motorcyles

A Big Sandy, Tennessee man, aged 52 was killed early (1AM) Friday morning when he lost control of his motorcycle on Hagler Ridge Road south of Springville.

According to local media reports he was southbound on Hagler Ridge Road, when for some reason he lost control of his 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle and ran off the right side of the roadway. The motorcycle then re-entered the roadway, flipped over, and eventually came to rest in the northbound lane.

Statistics show that nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involve 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.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney we know that these crashes are referred to as “Roadway Departure Crashes” (RDCs). According to the Federal Highway Administration roadway departure crashes are frequently severe and account for the majority of highway fatalities.

Motorcycles made up nearly 3 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States in 2006 and accounted for only 0.4 percent of all vehicle miles traveled. Per vehicle mile traveled in 2006, motorcyclists were about 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and 8 times more likely to be injured.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee motorcycle crash  that will require an experienced Tennessee motorcycle accident lawyer contact the lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Yield To Funeral Processions

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I think the least understood of the Tennessee Rules of the Road is what to do when you come upon a funeral procession. In most circumstances, the funeral procession is being directed by a private agency officer who has no police authority to stop or direct traffic.

In Tennessee, it is a common and accepted practice for oncoming traffic to pull to the side of the roadway as a sign of respect when meeting a funeral precession.  Tennessee law instructs the following:

• Vehicles following a funeral procession on a two-lane highway may not attempt to pass such procession; and,

• No operator of a vehicle shall drive between vehicles in a properly identified funeral procession except when directed to do so by a traffic officer.

Reference an article on the website of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reporting on the injury to a funeral escort motorcyclist when a car tried to cut through the procession and turned in front of him while he was directing a funeral procession. The driver of the car was given a citation for failing to yield to a funeral procession.

A co-worker of the injured man said that people cutting through funeral processions are a constant problem for escort services, particularly in Memphis. The co-worker added that in outlying areas, such as Southaven and Millington, motorists pull over respectfully and wait for the group to pass.

If you or a loved one is seriously injured or killed in a Nashville auto accident contact the experienced Tennessee personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies. Call 615-356-2000.

Fatal Tennessee Motorcycle Crash

A 70-year-old Sparta, Tennessee man was fatally injured in a motorcycle crash in Cookeville on Saturday afternoon. The man suffered fatal injuries in a one-vehicle accident on Highway 135, near Rice Rd. For some, as of yet unknown reason, his 2006 Kawasaki ran off the right side of the road and he was ejected. The man was wearing a safety helmet. Our prayers go out to the family and friends of this man.

In 2007, 2,641 (50%) of all motorcycles involved in fatal crashes collided with another type of motor vehicle in transport. In two-vehicle crashes, 78 percent of the motorcycles involved were struck in the front. Only 5 percent were struck in the rear.

Motorcycles made up nearly 3 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States in 2006 and accounted for only 0.4 percent of all vehicle miles traveled. Per vehicle mile traveled in 2006, motorcyclists were about 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and 8 times more likely to be injured.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee motorcycle accident caused by a careless motorcycle rider, contact the experienced Nashville motorcycle accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Motorcycle Safety

As an experienced Tennessee motorcycle accident attorney I am concerned that while all other types of fatal crashes involving cars, trucks and pedestrians are on the decrease, motorcycle fatalities continue to rise. What lies at the cause of this phenomenon? Several things come to mind.

Reference a motorcycle fatality that occurred just outside Nashville the other day. According to local media reports a 32-year-old Altamont, Tennessee man was driving his 2009 Harley-Davidson along Highway 108 in Warren County, when it left the road, ran into a ditch, struck a guard-wire and then a telephone pole. The driver was ejected, and the vehicle traveled approximately 360 feet from the time it left the road until it came to a final rest.

To this experienced Nashville motorcycle injury attorney, the distance the bike traveled after leaving the road indicates that the bike was traveling at a high rate of speed. Our prayers go out to the family and friends of this unfortunate man.

As is the case here, motorcycles are more likely to be involved in a fatal collision with a fixed object than are other vehicles. In 2007, 25 percent of the motorcycles involved in fatal crashes collided with fixed objects, compared to 18 percent for passenger cars, 13 percent for light trucks, and 3 percent for large trucks.

Motorcycles made up nearly 3 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States in 2006 and accounted for only 0.4 percent of all vehicle miles traveled. Per vehicle mile traveled in 2006, motorcyclists were about 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and 8 times more likely to be injured.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee motorcycle accident caused by a careless driver, contact the experienced Nashville motorcycle accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies. Call 615-356-2000.

Serious Head Injuries Following Motorcycle Crash

No matter what kind of vehicle you are driving on an interstate highway in rush hour traffic, you have to avoid any and all distractions and stay alert with your eyes on the traffic in front of you. This is especially true when you are driving a motorcycle.

Reference a Nashville motorcycle crash that occurred on Friday morning on I-40 coming into downtown. According to local media reports, a 50-year-old Mt/ Juliet man apparently didn’t see the mini van in front of him stop, and he slammed into it’s left rear end. The bike glanced off the van and ended up in the left shoulder area of the busy highway and the man hit the van suffering serious head injuries. He was transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center.

Interstate bottlenecks are increasingly the cause of Nashville traffic accidents. Traffic on Nashville interstates usually moves more safely and efficiently because access is controlled. There are no stop signs, no railroad crossings and no traffic lights. Interstates usually have few steep hills or sharp curves to limit the view of the road ahead. Limited access or controlled access means that drivers enter or leave the roadway only at entrances and exits, called interchanges, without ever crossing the path of other traffic. Interstates and divided highways have largely removed the chance of head-on collisions. Interstate driving requires good skills and habits so you can safely get where you are going. But, when the highways are very busy, start and stop traffic make them dangerous. Safe use of the interstates demands a complete awareness of a higher speed type of driving and constant alertness by the driver.

The lesson for all Tennesseans is to stay focused when you are on the interstates. It only takes a second or two and everything ahead of you can change. For this and other helpful Nashville traffic safety tips visit the website of the experienced Nashville lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates. Call 615-356-2000

Stop Means Stop

The Nashville motorcyclist didn’t have to run far, the Metro Nashville police officer decided not to enter into pursuit. Unfortunately the 33-year-old man made two mistakes, he ran from police when the most he could have gotten was a citation, and the second mistake he made was that he drove faster then he could control his bike.

Shortly after the attempted stop another driver flagged the officer to report that a motorcycle had crashed down the road. When the officer arrived at the scene he found that the motorcycle had left the road and slammed into a tree. The man was dead at the scene. The man died because his license was suspended.

The officer used good judgment in choosing not to initiate a chase in the hopes of avoiding a crash. The motorcyclist didn’t, all he could think of was getting away and avoiding the consequences of his actions. My prayers go out to the family and friends of this unfortunate man.

Fortunately no one else was injured by this young man’s actions. Had the officer chosen to make a chase and the circumstances lead to the young man’s death or the death or serious injury of another there very well might have been a cause of action against the police agency or the government agency that employed the officer.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a negligent police officer or other governmental agent recovering damages can be a tricky proposition and that’s why, in cases like this, you need an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer to handle your case. The lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates have handled dozens of Governmental Tort cases over the years and can guide you skillfully through the process. Call 615-356-2000.