Mobile Meth Labs

If drunk driving, road rage, speeding and distracted driving, aren’t enough for Tennessee drivers to worry about, how does the driving public deal with mobile meth labs? As an experienced Nashville personal injury lawyer I don’t really have an answer.

I often write about the danger that our brave law enforcement officers face every day, but it appears that the bad guys have upped the anti on them. A local media report revealed that the explosion in a car in the parking lot just outside the Dickson Horizon Medical Center in Dickson, Tennessee, a rural community just outside of Nashville, was caused by some guy cooking a batch of meth.

Even though the accident happened, as was recorded on a security camera, just outside of the ER, the man’s injuries were far too traumatic for  good result. My prayers go out to the family and friends of this foolish man, and I am grateful that no one else was killed.

This points out what I say everyday and that is that we never know what the other driver is going to do so we must remain vigilant at all times. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a negligent driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation. Call 615=356-2000

Speed Kills

A driver was killed in a one-car crash in Rutherford County early Thursday morning. The 27-year-old man was driving a Ford F-150 westbound on State Route 840 when he failed to navigate a curve and ran off the left shoulder. He then overcorrected and the truck overturned on the roadway. He was ejected and died on the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt.

Whenever you see an accident, usually involving one car that leaves the road, an experienced Tennessee 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?

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney we know that these crashes are referred to as “Roadway Departure Crashes” (RDCs). The Federal Highway Administration defines a RDC as a non-intersection crash that occurs when a vehicle crosses an edge line or a centerline, or otherwise leaves the traveled way. According to the Federal Highway Administration roadway departure crashes are frequently severe and account for the majority of highway fatalities.

Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. The lesson of this incident for all Nashville drivers is obvious, respect the streets and the other drivers. 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 motor vehicle accident by a speeding driver you ought to contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

When we talk about driver distractions we are usually talking about drivers using their cell phones, texting, eating, talking to passengers or simply day dreaming. A Memphis family had an interesting experience as they drove along I-40 the other day, a snake came out from under their hood onto their windshield as they were driving at 65 mph.

Unlike many distracted drivers, this one had a happy ending for the family, if not for the snake. I could tell you all about it but a video is better than a thousand words, so click here

Snake on the Windshield

to watch the event in living color.

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

Four Fatalities

Based on local media reports it appears that there may be a problem in need of action going on in Bradley County, Tennessee. In the last nine days there have been three fatal  crashes leaving four people dead.

Saturday night two young men, ages 28 and 20, died when the vehicle in which they were traveling left Leadmine Valley Road and crashed into a tree. The second fatality occurred when an ambulance carrying a 78-year-old man was involved in an intersection accident at the intersection of Freewill Road and Georgetown Drive.

The third fatality involved a twenty-year-old Bradley County resident who died in a single-vehicle crash July 7 when her vehicle left the roadway on Interstate 75 near Exit 33. Whenever you see an accident, usually involving one car that leaves the road, an experienced Tennessee 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?

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney the main question is what were each of these drivers doing in the two seconds before their vehicle left the road? 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.

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.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol investigate a fatal single-vehicle roadway departure crash yesterday in Anderson County, Tennessee. A 22-year-old man, was killed when the 2004 Hyundai sedan he was driving ran off the roadway along Laurel Road, near Long Hollow Road, in Clinton, Tennessee.

The driver over-corrected, crossed the roadway and struck a utility pole, according to the THP incident report. The vehicle broke the pole and continued down an embankment, overturning. According to the report there was no evidence of drug or alcohol use, although the victim was not wearing a seat belt.

Whenever you see an accident, usually involving one car that leaves the road, an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney 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?

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney we know that these crashes are referred to as “Roadway Departure Crashes” (RDCs). The Federal Highway Administration defines a RDC as a non-intersection crash that occurs when a vehicle crosses an edge line or a centerline, or otherwise leaves the traveled way. According to the Federal Highway Administration roadway departure crashes are frequently severe and account for the majority of highway fatalities.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I find it hard to believe that people still get into an automobile and fail to secure their safety seat belts. I mean this isn’t rocket science and it’s not like they don’t know that it’s a deadly mistake. Tennessee law requires the use of seat belts. An overwhelming number of studies show that seat belts, when used correctly, save lives.

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. Call 615-356-2000.

Roadway Departure Crash

Nashville traffic investigators are trying to determine why a 32-year-old Bellevue woman crossed a centerline on Highway 100 in west Nashville the other day and slammed head-on into a Hummer coming the other way. The collision caused the woman’s death, but her family and friends may never know what happened to cause her to lose control.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer I would focus on some sort of distraction, such as cell phone use, eating, or using some other electronic device. One investigator noted that she had a flat rear tire and that might bee the cause.

Distractions are the leading cause of fatal accidents. In an effort to slow the carnage, the Tennessee legislature has made it a citable offense to text while driving but that’s not enough, they should look carefully at new research about talking on a cell phone. It appears that whether you use a cell phone or hands-free device the driver is as impaired as a driver legally drunk.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville automobile accident you owe it to your family to contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation.

Highway Construction Zone Safety

The spring and summer months provide perfect weather for highway construction and repair work, and there hundreds of work zones across Tennessee in downtowns, along interstates and in rural areas. Highway work zones can change frequently, making it even more important to pay attention to the road.

Nationally, 85 percent of those killed in work zones are drivers and their passengers. Last year in Tennessee, eight people died in work zone crashes, all of them drivers or vehicle passengers.

As the Spring and Summer driving seasons begin it is especially important that Tennessee drivers pay particular attention these construction zones and practice a few simple steps to avoid killing themselves and others. Those steps include: traveling at the posted speed limit, avoid following too closely, and avoid distractions like talking on the cell phone and texting while in the construction zone.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed by a negligent Tennessee driver in a highway construction zone, you owe it to your family to contact an experienced and certified civil trial lawyer like those you will find at Phillip Miller & Associates. Our experienced Tennessee personal injury lawyers can help you sort out all of the legal issues and secure damages commensurate with your loss.

Stay Alert

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I can tell you there are two important rules you must observe while driving on an interstate highway. Don’t follow the vehicle in front of you too close and keep your eyes and your mind on the road and the vehicles around you. If you do this you are probably going to arrive alive.

A 37-year-old Centerville Tennessee woman didn’t observe these simple rules while driving along I-40 in Henderson County Tennessee, and did not notice that the tractor-trailer in front of her was slowing to a stop because of the slowing traffic in front of him.

The woman slammed into the rear of the Truck. We might never know just what was distracting her from looking out ahead, it might have been any number of things that make distracted driving the main cause of fatal accidents in Tennessee. Those distractions include, texting, talking on a cell phone, talking to passengers, drowsiness, the list is endless.

My prayers go out to the family and friends of this unfortunate woman, but the lesson for the rest of us is that when we are on the highways and byways of Tennessee that we avoid distractions and keep our eyes and our minds on the task at hand.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a distracted driver contact the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation.

Whenever you see an accident, usually involving one car that slams into rear end of a tractor-trailer on an interstate highway, an experienced Tennessee 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?

Reference a case in Northern Georgia in which a very popular 34-year-old high school teacher, and mother of two young children was driving along I-75 when for no apparent reason, she slammed into the rear end of a tractor-trailer and was killed.

I don’t have any independent information about this accident other than what I read in an article in a local media outlet, but as an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I am familiar with a number of reasons that a fatal interstate collision like this one could happen.

Distraction from the primary task of driving could present a serious and potentially deadly danger. There has been increased attention on the danger of distracted driving recently, specifically on the dangers of cell phone use and texting while driving.

Other secondary task involvement includes eating, drinking, conversing with passengers, as well as interaction with in vehicle technologies and portable electronic devices. Greater sophistication in these technologies may present greater physical and cognitive challenges for drivers than traditional information sources. Less obvious forms of cognitive distractions such as daydreaming or dealing with strong emotions also present potentially dangerous situations for drivers.

Last, but not least, the driver may have experienced some sort of medical emergency that caused him to lose control and crash. An autopsy may shine some light on this option.

The lesson here for Nashville drivers is that you must keep all of your attention on the acting of driving and avoid distractions. You never know when another driver is going to fall asleep, have a medical emergency or get distracted and leave their lane and initiate a deadly collision.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville auto accident involving a distracted driver or tractor-trailer truck, contact the experienced Tennessee auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

If you are going to be driving a stolen car it might be a good idea to not draw attention to yourself. Driving on an interstate inside the city limits of Knoxville Tennessee at over 95 mph is definitely a violation of this rule.

It’s also a good idea that when you are driving a stolen car going 95 mph and the police try to stop you that you submit to the arrest and don’t try to run, you can’t get away. To bad for a 21-year-old Knoxville woman who violated all of these rules and ended up crashing the stolen SUV when she tried to do a high speed exit from the interstate.

Upon release from the UT Medical Center she stands charged with felony evading arrest, theft of property over $10,000.00, and numerous traffic violations. Maybe it’s a good thing that she’s off the road and if there is any justice in the system, she will be for quite a while.

The lesson here is not for the car thieves among us, but rather for the innocent, hardworking everyday citizens who travel the highways and byways of Tennessee. Fools like this are out there and it is incumbent upon each of us to avoid distractions and keep a sharp eye out for people like this who don’t give a hoot about us, and will do anything to continue on their criminal ways.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee police chase you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and have a thorough case review to determine your rights.