Asleep At The Wheel

Sleepiness and driving is a dangerous combination. Most people are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving but don’t realize that drowsy driving can be just as fatal. Like alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of crashing.

Saturday night the driver of a tractor-trailer, a 61-year-old woman, fell asleep at the wheel as she motored down I-75. According to local media reports she drove off the east side of the roadway, down an embankment and into the woods. It happened around 8 o’clock p.m. Her driving partner a 56-year-old man was sleeping in the back of the semi at the time of the crash. Both were transported by helicopter to Erlanger hospital with unknown injuries.

Stay awake and stay alive. If you or anyone you know has been injured or killed in a Tennessee motor vehicle accident, please contact Nashville injury attorney Phillip Miller and the Tennessee personal injury attorneys at Phillip Miller and Associates at (615) 356-2000, or contact our office online here.

A 25-year-old Johnson City, Tennessee woman is free on bond while waiting to face charges for her role in a 2009 fatal accident. According to local media reports the woman was charged with vehicular homicide by reckless operation of a motor vehicle. According to police reports the woman fell asleep at the wheel and crossed the centerline and slammed, head-on, into a vehicle coming the other way and killing the female passenger and injuring the driver and a child onboard.

It appears that denial had taken over as the operating thought pattern for the Johnson City woman. At her first court date she had not hired an attorney and the case was reset for this past Monday when she was to show up for trial, with an attorney. She didn’t. According to local media reports she failed to appear, her bond was revoked and the court issued a capias (warrant) for her arrest.

Sleepiness and driving is a dangerous combination. Most people are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving but don’t realize that drowsy driving can be just as fatal. Like alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of crashing.

It’s nearly impossible to determine with certainty the cause of a fatal crash where drowsy driving is suspected. However, there are a number of clues at a crash scene that tell investigators that the person fell asleep at the wheel.

Unlike alcohol-related crashes, no blood, breath, or other objective test for sleepiness behind the wheel currently exists that investigators could give to a driver at the scene of a crash. This makes police training in identifying drowsiness as a crash factor very difficult.

If you or a loved one are injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a drowsy or sleeping driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates

Drowsy Driving Kills

and find out about your rights and remedies.

Sleepiness and Driving A Dangerous Mix

A roadway departure crash caused by a Dickson County Sheriff’s deputy on Beasley Dr., in Dickson, Tennessee, resulted in a fatality this past Thursday morning.

The Deputy was off-duty when he crossed the center line driving west on Beasley, hit the rear fender of a Nissan Maxima and crashed into a Jeep Wrangler driven by a 23-year-old man. Local media reports indicate that the driver either feel asleep or blacked out at the wheel. The 23-year-old man died of trauma to his head and chest. The child passenger of the deputy both had minor cuts from a shattered windshield.

The deputy hadn’t been on duty overnight but the local media report said the police were investigating whether the man had been working another job. There was no mention of any medical condition that would have caused him to blackout and there was no mention of a drug/alcohol test.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates conservatively that each year drowsy driving “is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities.” But among all the major factors that cause or contribute to crashes, like speeding, alcohol use, and weather situations, drowsiness is the most difficult for police and other crash investigators to detect and quantify.

Sleepiness and driving is a dangerous combination. Most people are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving but don’t realize that drowsy driving can be just as fatal. Like alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of crashing.

It’s nearly impossible to determine with certainty the cause of a fatal crash where drowsy driving is suspected. However, there are a number of clues at a crash scene that tell investigators that the person fell asleep at the wheel. For example, drowsy driving accidents usually involve only one vehicle where the driver is alone and the injuries tend to be serious or fatal. Also, skid marks or evidence of other evasive maneuvers are usually absent from the drowsy driving crash scene.

Unlike alcohol-related crashes, no blood, breath, or other objective test for sleepiness behind the wheel currently exists that investigators could give to a driver at the scene of a crash. This makes police training in identifying drowsiness as a crash factor very difficult.

If you or a loved one are injured or killed by a drowsy driver, you owe it to yourself to contact the law firm of Phillip Miller & Associates and consult with a certified Civil Trial Specialist. Call 615-356-2000

Dangerous Vehicle

I have been following a horrific interstate accident that took the life of a young woman and seriously injured several others on I-40 West of Nashville. The accident draws attention to the dangers of 15 passenger vans like those used by churches, day care centers, colleges and universities.

In recent warnings issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the NHTSA said that it is directing the advisory to church groups, other non-profit organizations and colleges that may be keeping older 15-passenger vans in service longer than usual because of tight transportation budgets.

Pre-primary, primary and secondary schools should not use 15-passenger vans for transporting school children, as they do not provide the same level of safety as school buses. It is also against federal law for schools to buy new 15-passenger vans for school transportation purposes.

Here are some safety tips for anyone planning a trip in 15-passenger vans:

* If you are an owner, make sure the vehicle is properly maintained.

* Owners should make sure drivers are fully trained and experienced in operating a 15-passenger van and are properly licensed.

* 15-passenger vans are very sensitive to loading and should not be overloaded under any circumstances. Agency research shows overloading not only increases rollover risk but makes the vehicle more unstable in any handling maneuvers.

* Owners should make sure that properly sized tires are being used on their vehicles.

* Before every trip, drivers should check the tires for proper inflation, and make sure there are no signs of wear. Correct tire size and inflation pressure information can be found in the owner’s manual.

* If you are a passenger, make sure you buckle up for every trip.

The driver of the van in question was a 24-year-old church member who, according to local media reports fell asleep while driving. The deceased child was not wearing a seat belt.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in an accident caused by a 15 passenger van, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates. Call 615-356-2000

Drowsy Driving Can Kill

In a terrible car motorcycle collision this past Sunday in Nashville, country musician Austin Childress was critically injured. According to local media and police reports Mr. Childress was riding his motorcycle along a street in Nashville when the driver of an oncoming car fell asleep at the wheel, crossed the centerline and slammed in him.

Childress is currently at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the trauma unit but, according to family and friends, he is showing promising signs. Our prayers go out to Mr. Childress, for a complete and speedy recovery.

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.

Motorcycle accidents can be devastating, and most of the time the accident isn’t even the motorcycle rider’s fault.  Very often other drivers are the ones who cause motorcycle accidents, or something as simple as faulty road design or poorly planned construction can contribute to a crash.  As a motorcyclist, you compete for space on Tennessee roads and highways with much larger vehicles whose drivers don’t always remember to look out for you when they turn or change lanes.  Not only that, but as you know roads are not always designed with motorcycle riders in mind, and seemingly harmless road or highway design features or flaws can prove dangerous – even deadly.

Phillip Miller – Protecting the Rights of Motorcycle Accident Injury Victims

The injuries that you or someone you love has sustained in a motorcycle accident can be difficult enough to face, without worrying about who will pay for hospital bills, repair bills, lost income, and any rehabilitation you or your loved one may need.  You may even be facing life without your loved one if they were killed in a motorcycle accident.  Who is going to pay the bills now, and who is going to compensate you for your tragic loss?

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

Roadway Departure Crash

A Springfield, Tenn., man was killed Sunday in a two-vehicle collision in Logan County, Kentucky. The 58-year-old man was driving a GMC pickup truck on Main St in Adairville when for some unknown reason, lost control and crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic striking another pickup truck driven by a 53-year-old man. As a result of the collision both men were trapped in their respective vehicles and had to be extracted by emergency personnel.

Driver one was pronounced dead at a local hospital and driver two was flown to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville where he is listed in stable condition. The investigation is continuing and police will have to determine what happened that caused driver one to lose control.

Possible causes include, the driver was distracted from the task at hand, he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or he suffered a medical or medication emergency. An autopsy will assist in this determination. On the other hand, if he simply fell asleep at the wheel, that determination will rely on his history in the hours preceding the crash.

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.

Asleep At The Wheel

Two Tennessee men were killed in a mysterious fiery crash involving their tractor-trailer truck and a drilling rig on a Texas highway near Lytle, Texas this past Friday afternoon. The men, a 58-year-old driver and his 45-year-old passenger both died at the scene. According to investigators the tractor-trailer slammed into the rear-end of the rig and showed no signs that it attempted to stop to avoid the collision.

As an experienced Nashville tractor-trailer accident attorney the facts of this case leave me when many open questions. Picture this scenario; the truck is driving down the road with two people in the cab. It approaches a giant drilling truck which moving substantially slower and they are gaining on it at a rapid pace and yet neither the driver nor the passenger make any attempt to avoid the collision which took their lives.

It occurs to me they both of the men in the truck were asleep. As an experienced Nashville truck accident attorney , I have learned that the most difficult tractor-trailer accident case to investigate is one caused by a drowsy driver who has fallen asleep at the wheel.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates conservatively that each year drowsy driving “is responsible for at least 100,000 vehicle related crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities.” But among all the major factors that cause or contribute to crashes, like speeding, alcohol use, and weather situations, drowsiness is the most difficult for police and other crash investigators to detect and quantify.

Sleepiness and driving is a dangerous combination. Most people are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving but don’t realize that drowsy driving can be just as fatal. Like alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of crashing.

It’s nearly impossible to determine with certainty the cause of a fatal crash where drowsy driving is suspected. However, there are a number of clues at a crash scene that tell investigators that the person fell asleep at the wheel.

Unlike alcohol-related crashes, no blood, breath, or other objective test for sleepiness behind the wheel currently exists that investigators could give to a driver at the scene of a crash. This makes police training in identifying drowsiness as a crash factor very difficult.

If you or a loved one are injured or killed in a Tennessee vehiclular accident caused by a drowsy or sleeping driver contact the experienced Nashville accident and injury attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

He Didn't Have A Chance

A Clarksville man was killed early Saturday morning in a car accident caused by a teenager who fell asleep behind the wheel. This is another in an extremely long list of car crashes on Fort Campbell Blvd this year. A 54-year-old man was heading south when a 16-year-old young man who had fallen asleep behind the wheel crossed five lanes of traffic and crashed head-on into him.

Witnesses said the man attempted to avoid the collision but was unsuccessful. He was trapped in his vehicle and had to be extricated before being life=flighted to Vanderbilt University Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The young man was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. My prayers go out to this man and his family and friends.

Among experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), it is generally agreed that teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group.

Per mile, the crash rate for 16 year-old drivers is 10 times the rate for drivers between 30 and 59. The basic reasons behind this statistic are obvious, teen drivers have no experience with the myriad issues faced by drivers with experience, furthermore, they are immature and often takes risks, most often speeding, and are easily distracted which contribute to the increased death rate.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a teen driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Asleep at the Wheel

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates conservatively that each year drowsy driving “is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities.” But among all the major factors that cause or contribute to crashes, like speeding, alcohol use, and weather situations, drowsiness is the most difficult for police and other crash investigators to detect and quantify.

Sleepiness and driving is a dangerous combination. Most people are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving but don’t realize that drowsy driving can be just as fatal. Like alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of crashing.

Less than half of Americans say they get a good night’s sleep every night. Combine excessive sleepiness with an automobile, a long drive, and the one of the heaviest travel weekends of the year, and our risk for a fall-asleep crash increases significantly. In fact, 28% of American drivers have admitted to falling asleep at the wheel, according to a recent National Sleep Foundation poll, and more than half (54%) said they have driven while drowsy.

These types of accidents can be avoided if one pays attention to the signs and responds appropriately.  If you start to do the following, it’s time to get off the road:

* Have problems focusing, blink frequently and/or have heavy eyelids;

* Drift from your lane, swerve, tailgate and/or hit rumble strips;

* Have trouble remembering the last few miles driven;

* Miss exits or traffic signs;

* Have trouble keeping your head up;

* Yawn repeatedly;

* Or finding yourself rolling down the windows or turning up the radio.

Stay awake and stay alive. If you or anyone you know has been injured or killed in a Tennessee car accident, please contact Nashville injury attorney Phillip Miller and the Tennessee personal injury attorneys at Phillip Miller and Associates at (615) 356-2000, or contact our office online here.

Sleeping Drivers Kill

As the economy begins it’s recovery, one of the first signs will be the increasing numbers of tractor-trailers on the highways and byways of Tennessee.  As an experienced Tennessee tractor-trailer accident attorney , I have handled dozens of cases involving tractor-trailer wrecks on Interstate highways and when investigating these accidents, drowsiness or drivers falling asleep as a cause, are the hardest to prove, unless the driver survives.

However, there are a number of clues at a crash scene that tell investigators that the person fell asleep at the wheel. For example, drowsy driving accidents usually involve only one vehicle where the driver is alone and the injuries tend to be serious or fatal. Also, skid marks or evidence of other evasive maneuvers are usually absent from the drowsy driving crash scene.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates conservatively that each year drowsy driving “is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities.” But among all the major factors that cause or contribute to crashes, like speeding, alcohol use, and weather situations, drowsiness is the most difficult for police and other crash investigators to detect and quantify.

Sleepiness and driving is a dangerous combination. Most people are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving but don’t realize that drowsy driving can be just as fatal. Like alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of crashing.

Reference an article on the website of Knoxville TV station WVLT which reports on two men injured in an early morning tractor trailer accident in East Knox County. In this case the driver and his driving partner survived the crash and he told investigators that he had fallen asleep and as he veered off the road he awoke and over-corrected causing the trailer to overturn. Thankfully no one was killed or seriously injured.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile tractor-trailer collision you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Tennessee tractor-trailer accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.