Give Big Trucks Lots of Room

Two Manchester, Tennessee, tractor-trailer drivers, a man aged 59 and a woman aged 57, died in a three-vehicle accident on Wednesday on I-65 in Jasper County, Indiana. According to local media sources, traffic had slowed for a work zone and had narrowed to one lane. For some unknown reason the male driver failed to observed the slowed traffic and slammed into the rear of the Tractor-trailer in front of him and that one slammed into the tractor-trailer in front of him.

The deceased driver had on his seat belt but was crushed and the passenger did not have her seat belt on and was ejected from the vehicle. Investigators will have their hands full trying to figure out what caused the driver to fail to maintain control. Did he fall asleep? Was he distracted by something else, a cell phone, CB radio, eating or  talking to his passenger and not paying attention to the traffic.

Construction zones can present a driver with a challenge. The zones are usually well marked in advance and require vehicles to start reducing speed in preparation for the upcoming area on the road where the construction equipment and workers are located.

This weekend I drove from Nashville to St. Louis for some business and was amazed at how many drivers ignore the signs warning drivers to slow down for a construction zone and instead of following the slow-down suggestions use the opportunity to speed up and get ahead of the people in front of them. This dangerous behavior in turn brings out bad behavior in others who don’t want the cheaters to get ahead of them. Some of those people who are slowing down and forming one lane as directed begin to attempt to block and retaliate against the speeders by refusing to allow them to merge.

The other danger I noticed was the tailgating by some on those who reduce their speed as directed. When you reduce your speed from 70 mph to 55 mph you should, according to the Tennessee Rules Of The Road, keep one car length for every ten miles per hour you are traveling, not so in these Interstate construction zones. What happens is that the danger of a rear-end collision is magnified. Driver one is worried about the driver 2 right on his tail and is paying more attention to the tailgater then he is to the driver in front of him.

The Tennessee Department of Safety suggests the following:

* Slow down! Drive within the posted speed limits, which are usually reduced in work zones. If you don’t, you’ll pay the price.

* Don’t tailgate! Most work zone accidents are caused by rear-end collisions.

* Eliminate distractions! Put down the cell phone; leave the radio dial alone. This is not the time to look for a new CD!

* Keep your ears open! Do not wear earphones while driving.

* Merge early! You can be ticketed and the cause of an accident for being a last chance merger.

* Watch for flaggers! Follow their signals, and don’t change lanes within the work zone unless instructed to do so.

* Expect the unexpected! Work zones change constantly.

* Turn your lights on before you enter the zone! Turn on your vehicle’s headlights to become more visible to workers and other motorists.

* Stay calm! Remember the work zone crew members are working to improve your future ride.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee construction zone accident it’s important that you secure the services of an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney like those that you will find at Phillip Miller & Associates. Time is of the essence in these cases so contact us immediately at 615-356-2000

Don't Toss The Dice And Drive Distracted

Construction zones can present a driver with a challenge. The zones are usually well marked in advance and require vehicles to start reducing speed in preparation for the upcoming area on the road where the construction equipment and workers are located.

On a busy Nashville interstate in morning drive time traffic a Nashville woman, driving in a construction zone, slammed into the rear end of a tractor-trailer that had stopped in front of her. According to local media reports the woman was going about 60 miles per hour when she hit the truck and went under the back of the big rig. My prayers go out to the family and friends of this unfortunate woman.

What could have caused this unfortunate woman to fail to see that the truck in front of her had stopped and that she was speeding toward certain death? Being distracted behind the wheel for even just a few seconds greatly increases your chance of a crash. Distracted driving contributes to up to 8,000 crashes every single day – the facts speak for themselves.

Multi-tasking is a fact of life – we all face constant demands for our time, and we all have to juggle more than ever before. Unfortunately, many people try to multi-task while driving, which is NEVER a good idea. In fact, a recent study by the University of Utah has reconfirmed that our brains are simply not wired to multi-task.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville auto accident caused by a distracted driver, act fast and take advantage of a free consultation with the experienced personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates. Call 615-356-2000.

Distracted Truck Driver

In heavy traffic, one act of negligence can turn into a chain reaction collision that might well have fatal consequences. That was the case this past week when two people were badly injured in a rear-end collision that began when cars began to slow for an upcoming construction project zone.

Somewhere back in the line was a tractor-trailer that failed to slow down and slammed into the vehicle ahead of it, and on and on, to the vehicle ahead of it. Fortunately no one was killed but a number of vehicle were wrecked and their drivers and passengers injured.

When questioned by police, the truck driver told them he was adjusting his mirrors and when he looked ahead it was too late to stop. As an experienced Tennessee accident attorney, I would remind this truck driver and all Tennessee drivers that the time to adjust your mirrors is before you put your vehicle on the road.

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. Investigators will most probably review his cell phone records and find that he was engaged in a conversation with someone and concocted the mirror story to avoid getting fired.

This accident brings to mind some advice that I would like to share for the families of those who are injured or killed in Tennessee by a negligent tractor-trailer driver. For a trucking company whose vehicles travel millions of miles per year, accidents are an everyday occurrence. Trucking companies have gotten this process down to a science and in many cases have specialized accident investigators at the scene of an accident interviewing the truck driver even before he she talks to the police investigation.

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. Call 615-356-2000.

Practice Construction Zone Safety

Construction zones can present a driver with a challenge. The zones are usually well marked in advance and require vehicles to start reducing speed in preparation for the upcoming area on the road where the construction equipment and workers are located. This weekend I drove from Nashville to St. Louis for some business this week and was amazed at how many drivers ignore the warnings and instead of following the slow-down suggestions use the opportunity to speed up and get ahead of the people in front of them. This dangerous behavior in turn brings out bad behavior in others. Some of those people who are slowing down and forming one lane as directed begin to attempt to block and retaliate against the speeders by refusing to allow them to merge.

The other danger I noticed was the tailgating by some on those who reduce their speed as directed. When you reduce your speed from 70 mph to 55 mph you should, according to the Tennessee Rules Of The Road, keep one car length for every ten miles per hour you are traveling, not so in these Interstate construction zones. What happens is that the danger of a rear-end collision is magnified. Driver one is worried about the driver 2 right on his tail and is paying more attention to the tailgater then he is to the driver in front of him.

The Dyersburg State Gazette reported on an incident that occurred this past Friday at a construction site up in Dyer County. Traffic began stopping for a construction site and a tractor-trailer was following another too closely and ran into the rear-end of the first one spilling it’s cargo of corn across the highway.

The Tennessee Department of Safety suggests the following:

* Slow down! Drive within the posted speed limits, which are usually reduced in work zones. If you don’t, you’ll pay the price.

* Don’t tailgate! Most work zone accidents are caused by rear-end collisions.

* Eliminate distractions! Put down the cell phone; leave the radio dial alone. This is not the time to look for a new CD!

* Keep your ears open! Do not wear earphones while driving.

* Merge early! You can be ticketed and the cause of an accident for being a last chance merger.

* Watch for flaggers! Follow their signals, and don’t change lanes within the work zone unless instructed to do so.

* Expect the unexpected! Work zones change constantly.

* Turn your lights on before you enter the zone! Turn on your vehicle’s headlights to become more visible to workers and other motorists.

* Stay calm! Remember the work zone crew members are working to improve your future ride.

On March 1, 2006, The Tennessee Department of Safety, in cooperation with the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office, implemented new, tougher driving penalties for teen drivers. This new rule is called Hayden’s Rule. A baby girl, Hayden Maples, was born February 18, 2003, after a teenage driver who had approximately 18 points on his driving record, hit Hayden’s mother head-on. The teenage driver had decided to pass another car on a double yellow line in a construction zone. Tragically, the driver died, and as a result of the accident, Hayden was born with a severe brain injury. Learn about the penalties for teenage drivers under Hayden’s Rule.

If you or a loved one is injured in a construction zone accident contact the experienced Nashville Accident and injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.