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.

Driver Inattention

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I have become alarmed at the recent number of accidents caused when some driver becomes distracted, leaves the road and crashes into a vehicle going in the opposite direction.

Local Knoxville media reports tell of a roadway departure crash on US Highway 25 in which a woman driving an SUV lost control of her vehicle, crossed the median and went airborne and crashed into a tractor-trailer. The SUV driver and her passenger as well as the truck driver were flown by helicopter to local hospitals.

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.

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

The lesson for all of us amateurs is to avoid distractions and keep your eyes and your mind on the road. If you or a loved one is seriously injured in a Tennessee automobile accident by a distracted driver contact the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and learn about your rights and remedies.

Drive Carefully

We all are responsible for driving, walking, and biking safely on our Nation’s roads. The highway engineers and planners have the responsibility to make sure that roads are designed and operating properly, with safety for all road users in mind.

Pedestrians should always keep an eye out and cross streets at duly marked intersections, never trying to cross between parked cars. Parents should teach their children the safety rules and always monitor their young children playing near streets.

Drivers have the responsibility to always be alert and obey the traffic rules. The number one rule for driver safety is to avoid distractions and obey posted speed limits. The majority of all Tennessee motor vehicle accidents are the result of some mixture of violation of both of these rules.

Passengers should always buckle up and act responsibly. Passengers should not distract the driver and remind the driver if she is not paying attention to the road or violating speed limits.

The police and the courts have the responsibility to make sure that the traffic and pedestrian laws are enforced. Public safety agencies have the responsibility of responding to and securing crash locations and enforcing traffic laws.

Local communities and county and state governments need to allocate funding for safe roads and increase public awareness about road safety. Everyone should take responsibility for roadway safety.

If you want to find out more about Tennessee highway traffic safety visit the website of Phillip Miller & Associates, a group of experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys.

At Phillip Miller & Associates our goal is to assist a family through such a tragedy by removing the financial and legal issues from the sphere of the family’s attention so that they may focus on what is really important in terms of healing and coping.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney, I know from experience that Halloween is a time of the year that drivers should exercise due care as they travel the highways and byways of Tennessee. Help protect trick-or-treaters by following some driving safety tips on Halloween, or on the night your community hosts Halloween activities.

Be especially careful between 4 and 8 p.m., when most severe vehicle/young pedestrian collisions happen. Drive slowly, and don’t pass stopped vehicles. The driver might be dropping off children.

Park your cell phone. Avoid distractions by waiting until you’ve stopped to call, text, or surf. For more mobile phone safety tips check out my website at www.seriousinjury.com.

Watch for children darting into the street. Kids can cross the street anywhere, and most young pedestrian deaths happen at spots other than intersections.

Yield to young pedestrians. Children might not stop, either because they don’t see your vehicle approaching or don’t know how to safely cross the street.

Communicate with other drivers. Always use your turn signals. And if you have to pull over to drop off or pick up your kids, turn on your hazard lights.

And, to keep your own trick-or-treaters safe:

Teach them how to safely cross streets. They should look both ways and cross only at corners and crosswalks.

Consider indoor community Halloween programs for younger kids. Some communities also offer to help you inspect your kids’ treats to make sure they’re safe to eat. Brighten them up. Give them flashlights and glow sticks, and/or use reflective tape on their costumes, so drivers can see them.

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

In Medical Emergency Try To Pull Over

As an experienced Nashville auto accident attorney I have written about all sorts of driver distractions that have caused fatal and non-fatal car crashes. Cell phones and texting lead the list, followed by talking to passengers, alcohol and drug use and sleepy drivers. I read about a case the other day in which the driver went into a sneezing fit that caused her to be so distracted that she drove off of the road, ripped through several trees before plowing up a fence before coming to a stop.

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.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a serious Tennessee car accident due to somebody else’s negligence, then you may be feeling angry, frightened, or even alone in your suffering.

There is no reason for you to bear your burden alone.  The experience of a Tennessee auto accident is traumatic enough and your recovery will bring its own challenges.  You don’t need the added stress of worrying about who will pay for the medical care you need, how your car will be repaired, and if the individuals responsible for your suffering will be brought to justice.  This is the time to call Phillip Miller & Associates, the law firm of local Tennessee attorneys and staff who for the past 25 years have dedicated their lives to protecting the rights of injured men, women, and children in Tennessee.

Planning a road trip this summer? From where you’ll stay each night to which sights you’ll visit along the way, you’ll have lots of decisions to make. If you’ll be traveling with your spouse, other family members, or friends, you can count on making lots of compromises too. After all, everyone has a slightly different idea of what makes for the perfect summer vacation.

But there’s one thing you and all your travel companions can agree on: Getting to your destination and back safely is priority number one. So take a few minutes now to focus on what matters the most.

Before you go service your vehicle, check the tires, the motor, windshield wipers and the lights and blinkers. Check the weather and prepare accordingly. Make sure you have the children’s safety seats properly installed and bring along a roadside safety kit in the event that you need to make an emergency stop along the highway.

Having a car full of kids on a long trip can take it’s toll but you must focus on avoiding d

Avoid Distractions

istractions. It’s the driver’s job to focus solely on the highway and the other parent’s rill is to keep the peace in the backseat. And remember….buckle your seat belt because you never know when you will need it. Seatbelts save lives.

For more highway safety tips and ideas about all things safety check out our web site at Phillip Miller & Associates.

Distracted Driver

Whenever you see an accident, usually involving one car that leaves the road, an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney starts thinking about driver distractions or  medical emergency. When investigating a distracted driver case we try to determine just what the driver doing in the moments before the crash that caused his/her vehicle to leave it’s lane and cross over into an oncoming vehicle? What caused the driver to change focus from driving to other things?

Reference an article reporting on a collision in Blount County Tennessee in which a lone driver was traveling along a two-lane highway when for some unknown reason she crossed over the double yellow line and crashed head-on into a van carrying 5 people. She was not wearing her seatbelt and suffered serious injuries. Her condition at the present time is critical. All of the van passengers were wearing a seatbelt.

I don’t envy the investigators on this one. The first thing they are going to have to determine is whether the driver had some sort of medical emergency that rendered her unable to control here vehicle, that evidence will be determined by the treating physicians. The next thing that will need to looked at is whether she had and was using a cell phone, was smoking a cigarette or eating while she drove. All of these activities are considered major distractions that lead to thousands of automobile accidents each year.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration driver inattention by distraction 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.

It only takes a second, look away at something inside or outside the car, look back to the road in front of you and your life, and lives of other human beings can change in a way you never anticipated. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee car accident caused by a distracted driver contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Tennessee Trucker Dies In Crash

According to an article in the Greeneville Sun trucker driver Carl Seaton, 76, of Greene County died from injuries received in a one vehicle tractor-trailer wreck on Tennessee Highway 81. The information in the article came from the report of the State Trooper investigating the accident and claims that 2005 Freightliner, pulling an empty trailer, veered from the highway and crashed into a ditch. The initial investigative report indicated that Mr. Seaton either fell asleep or had some sort of medical emergency. The investigation is continuing.

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. In 2008, there were 19,794 fatal roadway departure crashes resulting in 22,080 fatalities, which was 53 percent of the fatal crashes in the United States. FHWA uses the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to compute statistics on roadway departure crashes.

The FHWA’s Roadway Departure Safety Program provides important information for transportation practitioners, decision makers, and others to assist them in preventing and reducing the severity of roadway departure crashes, but no matter what steps they take this problem will never be successful if drivers refuse to observe the speed limits, avoid distractions, refuse to drive when sleepy and continue to drink and drive.

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 in a Nashville car crash contact our experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies. If you are not sure you need a lawyer to handle your claim, at least check out our website for helpful information that will help you with this complex and confusing adventure.

The Automobile accident personal injury firm of Phillip Miller & Associates is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.