Cell Phone Distraction

A 47-year-old Tennessee woman lucked out when her car left US Highway 41, over-corrected, lost control then left the roadway again striking an embankment and then rolled over. The cause of the crash was that she had dropped her cell phone and took her eyes off of the road in her attempt to reach it. She was transported with non-life endangering injuries.

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.

Drivers who use a cell phone – either handheld or hands-free, are four times more likely to be involved in a crash, according to a 1997 New England Journal of Medicine examination of hospital records, and a 2005 study funded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety linking injury crashes to cell phone records.

About 30 research studies conclude that there is an increased crash risk when using a cell phone while driving. Many of these studies further conclude that using a hands-free phone while driving is just as risky as talking on a handheld phone.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I implore you to put the cell phone down when you are driving. You might think that you are a good enough driver to driver and talk at the same time, but statistics say you are not.

If you are injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a cell phone using driver, you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Tennessee personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and secure your rights and remedies.

Tennessee Roadway Fatlity

This past Friday afternoon a 62-year-old Oliver Springs man was killed in a one-car roadway departure crash in Anderson County, Tennessee. According to local media reports the man was traveling westbound on Oliver Springs Highway when he lost control, swerved across the intersection of Bill Key Lane, went airborne, and then flipped into a pond. Police told local media that the man was wearing his seat belt.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney, I’m left to wonder what caused the man to lose control. From the article, I would assume that the man was speeding and was not able to negotiate a turn or was somehow distracted in the seconds before leaving the road.

Numerous studies point to 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 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. Call 615-356-2000.

It's Big and Yellow and has Blinking Lights

A Memphis man, the driver of a Jeep Cherokee, told police he was distracted and didn’t see the emergency lights, or the stop sign on a huge yellow school bus, nor the hearing impaired child prior to striking the child. According to local media reports the driver of the school bus activated the red lights and stop sign at which time the 13-year-old left his driveway and proceeded to board the bus.

The young man suffered injuries to his head and was transported by ambulance to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. He is in critical but stable condition. Our prayers go out to him for a speedy and complete recovery.

He did not tell the police what had distracted him, but I’d bet a dollar to a donut he was using his cell phone. 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 her cell phone records and find that she was engaged in a conversation with someone.

Come on people, it’s up to us to change the culture of distracted driving. Education is the first step and enforcement is the next. The distracted driver was charged with Failure to Maintain Control and Safe Lookout along with Overtaking and passing a school bus. Alcohol and speed were not factors in the accident.

If you or a loved one are involved in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a distracted driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies. Call 615-356-2000

Death By Distrction

Giles County police investigators will have to try and figure out what it was that so distracted the 21-year-old driver that he drove off the roadway struck a ditch and crashed into two telephone poles, killing his 21-year-old friend who was his passenger. Two other passengers were injured.

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.

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

This kind of crash is one of an epidemic number of roadway departure crashes that are becoming a plague to Tennessee drivers. 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 an 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

Tennessee Head-On Collision

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. Local investigators will have the job of determining just what caused the man to drift into the other lane and fail to make any attempt to return to his lane and avoid the collision.

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 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. Call 615-356-2000.

Rush Hour Inattention

Two people were injured in a four vehicle interstate morning rush hour crash on I-24 West near Smyrna this past Wednesday morning. Local Nashville media reports said the four vehicles were all traveling in the HOV lane in stop and go traffic. Stopped traffic caused a chain reaction, and three of the cars ended up perpendicular next to each other by the median, with the fourth underneath the third pickup truck.

The drivers of the pickup truck and the car that was trapped underneath, were transported to area hospitals. Both were treated and released. The drivers of the other two cars involved were not injured.

Chronic traffic congestion is often the Tennessee commuter’s biggest headache. Small changes in driving habits could provide fast relief. Several driving behaviors that contribute to traffic congestion include:

• Rubbernecking is perhaps the most frustrating of behaviors. Slowing down to look at crashes or virtually anything else out of the ordinary is one of the worst congestion offenders.

• Tailgating: Following too closely is common on Tennessee interstates. This accounts for numerous crashes, which in turn clog major routes, often for hours.

• Unnecessary Lane Changes: Although it produces virtually NO improvement in arrival or travel times, many motorists insist on weaving in and out of interstate lanes, which at best, slows down all traffic and at worst, causes many crashes.

• Inattention: Drivers can be seen eating, grooming in the rear view mirror, talking on cellular telephones, and even reading newspapers as they drive to work.

If you or a loved one are injured or killed in a Nashville rush hour collision caused by a negligent driver contact the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and learn about your rights and remedies. Call 615-356-2000.

Tennessee Teen Driver

A Jackson, Tennessee driver involved in a roadway departure crash in Willets, California is uninjured but his passengers were not so lucky. Of the five passengers a 21-year-old woman suffered major injuries and the other four were hospitalized.

According to local media reports the man was driving his 2006 Toyota along the roadway when, for some unknown reason, the car left the road and slammed into a tree. The driver was wearing his seat belt and the airbags deployed. According to the media report, the police ruled out alcohol and drugs as a cause.

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.

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 her cell phone records and find that she was engaged in a conversation with someone.

If you or a loved one are involved in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a distracted driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Commercial Truck Accident

As an experienced Nashville personal injury lawyer, I still find it hard to believe it when a tractor-trailer driver, after slamming into stopped traffic on Interstate 81, tells police he “didn’t notice traffic on the Interstate had stopped.” Fortunately no one died. The next question the investigators are going ask is, “what were you doing that prevented you from paying attention to the traffic in front of you on the interstate highway?”

The first step in the investigation is to confiscate the drivers cell phone and log book. Under Federal law it is a violation if a commercial truck driver uses a cell phone while driving. The logbook will reveal whether the driver has violated the law on how many hours he/she may drive.

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 someone you love has been hurt in a serious Tennessee tractor-trailer 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 tractor-trailer 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. Call 615-356-2000.

Head-On Collision

In a largely rural state like Tennessee, a driver is likely to find themselves on 2-lane highways with narrow shoulders. The reason why I am constantly harping on avoiding distractions is directly related highways like this. These secondary roads are very unforgiving.

Unforgiving is right. If you are distracted or driving too fast, it takes only a second or two and you are face to face with a tree, a whole bunch of trees or a ditch, or in the case of a Lincoln County, Tennessee man, a tractor-trailer truck. Rural roads are hazardous, they are narrow, windy and for the most part, without a shoulder.

The accident took place this past Friday on Highway 110. According to local media reports, an SUV and a tractor-trailer collided head-on in a curve. The SUV driver was killed. The media reports didn’t say who was at fault but observing the speed limit, paying attention to the road conditions and signs and avoiding any kind of distraction is the key to arriving alive. My prayers go out to the family and friends of the victim of this tragic Tennessee head-on collision.

The lesson here is that no matter where you are, the interstate highway or the rural roads that wind through this beautiful state of ours, you have to be alert and mindful of your task. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee car crash, whether on a highway or a byway, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and let us help you recover damages for your injuries and loss.

Head On Crash Takes Two Lives

A tragic late night roadway departure crash claims two lives in Scott County Tennessee this past weekend. Local media, citing a Tennessee Highway Patrol accident report, says just before 10:30 on Sunday, a 27-year-old Huntsville man, was driving a Ford Fusion north on Highway 27 in Helenwood. The report goes on to say that the man crossed the center lane- smashing into a Mercury Cougar being driven by an 18-year-old driver who was heading south. Such a tragic loss of life.

Investigators and grieving family and friends will probably never know what so distracted the first driver and caused him to cross the centerline. Our prayers go out to all of the people involved in the lives of these two young men.

It seems to me, that distracted drivers cause most Tennessee car 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.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville automobile accident by a distracted driver contact the experienced Tennessee car crash lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.