Tractor-Trailer Crash

A 60-year-old Tennessee truck driver has died in a 2 vehicle crash on Interstate 44 in Laclede County, Missouri. According to local media and police reports the man crashed into a rocky embankment near mile marker 139 east of Lebanon. A pickup truck swerved to miss the truck and hit a cable barrier. That driver received only minor injuries.

The continuing investigation into why this man lost control and left the road the Troopers will do an analysis of the skid marks to see if speed was a factor. An autopsy with point out whether the driver suffered some sort of medical emergency, and a review of his cell phone records will indicate whether he was using the cell phone at the time of the crash.

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.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee car/tractor-trailer accident time is of the essence. Contact an experienced Tennessee truck accident lawyer like those you will find at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation.

Slow For Construction Zones

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.

The Chattanooga, Tennessee driver who crashed through the front of a local trophy shop told police that her flip-flop got caught on the accelerator pedal and caused her to speed toward the building. Fortunately no one was injured and the shop re-opened the following week.

I’ll have to say I find claims like this somewhat spurious. Why, I would ask did you not simply use your other foot to push on the brake and stop the vehicle?  As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I would opine that the driver was distracted somehow and when the car accelerated she simply wasn’t able to react. Distractions can kill.

Under the Tennessee Rules of the Road we are required to stop for a moment before we turn the ignition key and make certain that all of your systems are functioning and anything that would constitute a dangerous condition should be addressed.

If you would like to have more information about highway safety in Tennessee check out my website at www.seriousinjury.com. If you are involved in an automobile accident take advantage of the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates. Call 356-2000

Seat Belts Make A Difference

In Tennessee, seat belts, child safety seats and child booster seats, are required by law. Seat belts can help save lives in the event of a traffic crash. One of the main benefits of using seat belts is that, during a crash, they prevent ejection. Ejection greatly increases the chance of death or serious injury.  The chance of being killed in a crash by being ejected from a vehicle is one in eight.  Safety belts virtually eliminate ejection.  The belted driver stays inside the car and is better protected from injury.

Reference a recent Tennessee highway fatality in which a Elizabethton woman was killed on Highway 19E, near mile marker 16. The family and friends of the 38-year-old woman will probably never know what she was doing in the seconds prior to her vehicle leaving the road, but whatever it was, it distracted her.

She left the road, crossed the median, the other lane and as she hit the ditch her vehicle rolled, ejecting her. The investigating Trooper, according to local media reports, said that he believed that had she taken the time to secure her seat belt, the outcome of the accident would have been different. Seat belts save lives. Take a second before you turn the ignition key and buckle up.

Have you or a loved one been injured in a Nashville motorcycle accident or auto accident as a result of distracted driving or other negligent driving?  If so, you should call the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates, a Nashville personal injury accident lawyer from our law firm will fight to help you win. We will treat you with the utmost compassion and respect. Call us today and speak with an experienced Nashville personal injury lawyer to discuss the details of your case. Call (615) 356-2000.

Teen Driving Fatalities

Most 17-year-old high school students like to stay under the radar of their school Principal for obvious reasons. Circumstances arose which mad that impossible for an Arlington HS student in Memphis.

According to local media outlets the 17-year-old Arlington High student was driving a truck to school Tuesday morning when he sideswiped his principal’s car. After sideswiping the Principals car, the teen lost control and the vehicle began to flip and ened up upside down in the oncoming lane.

The good news is that neither the student nor his Principal were seriously injured. Investigators on the scene said that both men were wearing their seat belts, and they told local reporters that the seat belts saved the teen’s life. The teen suffered back and head injuries and is hospitalized. The Principal was uninjured.

The teen was cited for failure to maintain a safe lookout. The media report didn’t mention what, if anything, the student was doing but as an experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyer I assume fro the facts in the article that he was somehow distracted and failed to keep an eye on the road.

Teen accidents involving distracted drivers on are the rise in Tennessee and parents need to take steps to educate their children on the dangers of distractions. This teen hopefully, learned a lesson.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville automobile accident caused by a teen driver you owe it to your self to contact the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Philip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation.

Distractions, along with alcohol and speeding, are now leading factors in fatal and serious injury crashes in the United States. Over the last few years, cell phones have become more common in our day-to-day lives. In 1995, cell phone subscriptions covered only 11 percent of the U.S. population; in 2010, that number grew to 93 percent.

This has led to a substantial increase in cell phone use while driving. According to the National Safety Council, 23 percent of all crashes each year involve cell phone use, resulting in 1.3 million crashes nationally.

Almost 70 percent of the respondents to a AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey reported talking on a cell phone while driving during the previous 30 days. Researchers observing more than 1,700 drivers found that three out of every four drivers using a cell phone committed a traffic violation.

Talking on a cell phone while driving makes you four times as likely to crash, and texting while driving increases your chances of a crash by up to 8 to 23 times. While a growing number of drivers are turning to hands-free devices, studies show hands-free devices provide no safety benefit. It’s the conversation, not the device, that creates the danger.

Put Down The Phone

In addition to taking their eyes and hands off the wheel, distracted drivers take their mind off the primary task of driving.

The lesson for Tennessee drivers is to put it down, turn it off, and live.

If you or one of your family is injured in a Nashville automobile accident caused by distracted driver talking on a cell phone you are going to need an experienced Nashville auto accident lawyer like those you will find at Phillip Miller & Associates. Contact us for a free consultation.

Roadway Departure Fatalities

The family and friends of two young people in Loudon County Tennessee will probably never know why, for no apparent reason, their car left the roadway on Sunnyside Road and struck a tree, taking both of their lives. Local media sources don’t give much information on the couple, other then their ages, he was 21 and she was 22, and that she was pregnant. they were wearing their seat belts.

Was it speed, or some distraction that caused the accident? We will probably never know. Police investigators will check his cell phone for evidence that he was talking or texting at or near the time of the collision. Tire and other marks on the roadway might give some indication of the drivers speed at the time he left the road, but that matters little to those left behind.

Distraction from the primary task of driving could present a serious and potentially deadly danger. In 2008, 5,870 people lost their lives and an estimated 515,000 people were injured in police-reported crashes in which at least one form of driver distraction was reported on the crash report. While these numbers are signi!cant, they may not state the true size of the problem, since the identification of distraction and its role in the crash by law enforcement can be very difficult.

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.

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 an experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyer contact the lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Tractor-Trialer Roadway Departure Crash

Since we don’t know the Tennessee tractor-trailer driver’s condition at this time, it will be hard to determine what exactly it was that distracted him and caused him to leave the roadway and crash through the interstate fence, across a service road and into the woods running along the highway. I think it’s fair to say that, whatever happened to this driver, he did not slow down as he left the road.

It seems to me, that distracted drivers cause most Tennessee interstate highway accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. In studies by the NHTSA the most common distraction for drivers is the use of cell phones.

However, the number of crashes and near-crashes attributable to dialing is nearly identical to the number associated with talking or listening.  Dialing is more dangerous but occurs less often than talking or listening.

Reaching for a moving object increased the risk of a crash or near-crash by 9 times; looking at an external object by 3.7 times; reading by 3 times; applying makeup by 3 times; dialing a hand-held device (typically a cell phone) by almost 3 times; and talking or listening on a hand-held device by 1.3 times. Drivers who engage frequently in distracting activities are more likely to be involved in an inattention-related crash or near crash

Another possibility in this crash is some sort of medical emergency, a stroke, heart attack or a reaction to medication.

I advise people that before putting the key in the ignition, stop for a moment and remind your self that you are getting behind the wheel of a potentially deadly weapon and that if you want to arrive at your destination alive or without killing others, use common sense and avoid distractions.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Tennessee car/tractor-trailer accident caused by a distracted driver, call one of our experienced Nashville tractor-trailer accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Distracting Devices

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I am concerned about the roll of distracted drivers in the deadly roadway departure crashes that have become an epidemic on the roads of Tennessee.

I am also concerned about a new trend in which American automobile manufacturers are offering digital dashboard navigation systems, touch screen climate controls, hundreds of satellite radio channels and even computer devices that allow a driver to update their Facebook and Twitter pages.

Consumer Reports said this month that the touch-screen computer standard in many Ford models to control the radio, temperature and navigation was “overly complicated and distracting” and dropped its recommendation of models with it. Last fall, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood criticized General Motors’ OnStar communication system for allowing people to verbally update their Facebook or Twitter status while driving.

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 are involved in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a distracted driver you are going to need an experienced and sophisticated Nashville auto accident attorney like those you will find at Phillip Miller & Associates

Rainy Highway

A 22-year-old Union City man, and student from the University of Tennessee at Martin died in a single car accident just a few hours after the New Year on a rain slick Weakley County road. Police investigators told local news media that they didn’t think that alcohol was a factor. The young man was driving his Ford pickup truck when he went off the right side of the road, overcorrected and left the roadway and slammed into a tree.

In a case like this, as an experienced Tennessee auto accident attorney, one of three conditions are present that cause a rainy roadway departure crash. Either the driver was traveling too fast for the conditions, became distracted for a moment or the tires or other equipment on the vehicle were not up to best standards.

Wet pavement can be as treacherous as snow and ice. To drive under these conditions:

• Slow down. The pavement is particularly treacherous when it first begins to rain. Dirt and oil accumulations make a greasy film on the roadway, and it takes several minutes for it to wash away.

• Avoid hydroplaning. A lot of water standing on the road during a heavy rain causes tires to lose all contact with the road, even if driving under 50 m.p.h. If the vehicle starts to hydroplane, slow down by letting up on the gas. Never suddenly apply the brakes.

• Improve your vision: (a) keep windshield wipers in good condition, (b) wait a few minutes after the rain starts so the rain/wipers can remove dust and grime.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a negligent driver contact the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates.