Distracted Driving

It only takes one second, take your eyes off of the road and your life, and lives of others can change forever. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA 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.

Witness an accident reported by the I-24 Exchange of Pleasant View. A 1996 Jeep SUV driven by James A. Hill of Pleasant View, crossed the centerline on Highway 49 on the Cumberland River Bridge and smashed head-on into a Grand Cherokee driven by Dana Carol Hawkins of Ashland City. According to the article, the impact spun the Cherokee into another car driven by Stephen B Stewart of Charlotte. Hill told officers he was reaching down for a cigarette when he crossed the line into oncoming traffic.

This collision could well have cost two people their lives caused untold pain and suffering to the family and friends of  the victims. Luckily this was not the case, this time. Not so lucky are the 1200+ deaths that occur every year in Tennessee. As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I know that these kinds of collisions are completely avoidable. A motor vehicle operator must remember at all time that s/he is behind the wheel of a deadly weapon.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a serious Nashville 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 an 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. You don’t deserve the injuries and suffering you’ve been through because of somebody else’s negligence, and our job at Phillip Miller & Associates is to make sure that you receive the justice and compensation that you deserve.

The Nashville automobile accident, personal injury law 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.

Keep Your Eyes On Your Driving

Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. According to an article posted on the website of Memphis TV station WMC, a police cruiser with it’s emergency lights engaged was working with a wrecker operator with his emergency lights engaged to pull an SUV out of a ditch along I-40 when the driver of an Altima traveling at an estimated 55 m.p.h. rammed into the rear of the cruiser sending it flying through the air into the wrecker and the SUV. Luckily no officers were injured but the two drivers, SUV and Altima, were transported to area hospitals. The SUV driver was cited for failure to maintain control of his vehicle and the Altima driver was cited for failure to keep a proper lookout.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney it’s obvious to me that both drivers were somehow distracted and failed to focus on the job at hand, piloting a motor vehicle on an interstate highway at a reasonably high rate of speed. I mean, how do you not see two vehicles with emergency lights flashing if you are watching the road? The good news here is that either one of these drivers could have killed another human being by their inattention and that that didn’t happen.

Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to a landmark research report released in October by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). 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, GPS, other electronic devices and drowsiness.

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 witness a driver who appears to be texting or not paying attention to the task at hand use your cell phone and dial *THP ( *847) and report them to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Your action might just save a life down the road. We are all in this together.

If you are a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville automobile accident involving a distracted driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miler & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

The Nashville automobile accident, personal injury law 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.

Child Safety Seats Work

The Kingsport Times-News reported that a fast moving sedan slammed into the rear end of a parked van containing five small children and three adults. Miraculously none of the children were hurt, but the van’s driver and two other passengers were transported to the hospital. The sedan driver was uninjured but was cited failure to yield and failure to have automobile insurance.

The report went on to say that, “Rescue workers severed the middle post connected to the passenger door panel while getting one hurt passenger out of the van. The authorities did not release the names of any of the victims. According to the reporter, the children were crying and as they were being ushered to the side of the road, one little girl yelled, “I love you, Daddy” while one passenger was placed on a stretcher.

The staff here at Phillip Miller & Associates sends our deepest condolences to the family along with our great relief that none of the children were injured. It appears that the thoughtful parents had these kids safely secured in their car seats.

Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to a landmark research report released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). 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.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I look at this situation and ask myself why it is that a fast moving car rams into the rear-end of a van parked along a city street at 9:30 in the morning. It’s improbable that the car driver intended to ram the van so there must have been either a medical emergency or another type of distraction that caused the driver to take his eyes off the road. In that the driver was ticketed at the scene and not taken for medical treatment, nor was he arrested for driving under the influence it appears that the investigating authorities will focus on what distracted the driver. A good starting point is to examine the driver’s cell phone and determine whether he was making or taking a call. I will follow this accident and let you know what the investigators find out.

If you or a loved one is injured by a distracted motorist contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates immediately to find out about your rights and remedies.